


Trouble

by Evilapple_MC



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Lot of Plot, Angst, Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, F/F, Fluff, Mentions of Suicide, Smut, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:53:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 133,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24599329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evilapple_MC/pseuds/Evilapple_MC
Summary: It remains unknown to the both of them, when they went from enemies, to civil, to sharing drunken confessions and heartbreak, and evenings that turn to nights. But, Emma and Regina have always had a different language.Finally addressing their feelings, A curse ensues, along with true loves kiss. But it’s far more complicated than anyone would imagine, as there is always someone standing in the way of happiness.Chapter length increases with the story line, and writing format improves around the 5th chapter.Updated 1 to 2 times a week.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 84
Kudos: 210





	1. Chapter 1

Snow had the 7 dwarfs. She had her perfectly imperfect husband, Prince Charming. She had Red, her best friend. And she had Neal, her sweet baby boy, who grew to be her favorite among all of these people. Including Emma Swan. At least, that is what Emma felt. It's almost as if snow forgot the whole 10 and a half seconds Emma, David and herself were a family. And Emma gets it, she does. A new born baby is a lot of work. 

Except she _doesn't_ get it. Because Emma lost the chance of experiencing all of such, when she gave up Henry. And acknowledging the fact only makes Emma's chest feel heavy, on top of the salty tears that began streaming down Emma's cheeks the moment she left her parents apartment. 

__**__**__**__

"Hold on, Emma. You know Neal can only handle so much talking at once". Snow looks knowingly at Emma, while bouncing a loud and snotty Neal around on her hip through her kitchen, fumbling around for Neal's baby bottle. 

Emma had been sitting at her mothers table, on the verge of screaming in agony because of the baby who only insist on ruining every decent conversation. 

"Come on, Mom. Just-" Emma sighs, rubbing her temples "Put the pacifier in his mouth or something".

"Well, that is easy for you to say, Emma. You never had to raise Henry". Snow smiles with victory finally landing on Neal's baby bottle, when she looks up to see Emma's face of regret.

"Oh- Emma, I'm-" Snow's attempt at an apology was cut off, by a tired and _hurt_ Emma, waving her hand lazily. 

"No, don't apologize. You're right, I don't know what it's like". Emma smiles at her mother, nodding her head reassuringly. 

Emma can't help but think that, yes. It is true. She has no idea what it is like, because all Emma swan does is run. And when Henry was born, She couldn't run. So she sent him away. A closed adoption, _running._ Not making eye contact with the baby who she carried for 9 months, _running._

"It's just-" Snow sighs and looks up at Emma "it's just very new for me" She smiles apologetically. "And David is already insisting we have more, once Neal is of age" She readjust Neal on her hip "but I- I really think one is enough" Snow softly laughs, turning her head to give Neal her attention. 

_One._ It repeats in Emma's head like a prayer. A prayer to not be forgotten. A prayer screaming _"Am I the one" ?_ But Emma knows. She knows. And she can't tell if it's the fact that her own Mother has yet to acknowledge her mistake, that she feels the need to _run._ She can't tell if it's the sound of baby babbles and cooing that make her feel regret, that make her want to run. And she can't tell if it's the fact that she knows shes not _the one,_ that makes her want to dramatically make an exit.

All of them.

Emma clears her throat, in attempt to numb the feeling of tears and constricting that she has grown familiar with since she was a lost little girl. "Well, I- uh" Emma swallows, and in seconds decides to push her sense of pride to the surface "I've got to get to Regina's, something about budgets. Sheriff stuff." She stands and grabs her jacket, swiftly sliding it on and walks out, closing the door in the middle of Snows goodbye. 

As Emma slides into her bug, tears rolling down her cheeks, she realizes something.

She's never _not_ been a lost girl.

__**__**__**__

Sighing, Emma wipes her tear stained cheeks and sucks up her snotty nose, just in time to see the porch light of house 108 cut on, illuminating a known figure. She opens the door of her bug, and walks towards the steps of the home, smiling sheepishly at Regina as she hopes and prays that her brick wall is up and UN-noticeable. 

"Late as always, Miss Swan" Regina breaks the ice with a statement dripping amusement, smiling at the blonde who she has slowly taken a liking to. But she would never tell anyone that. Not even Emma.

"Sorry, I uh- got caught up at snows apartment" Emma stifles a sniff as she follows behind Regina into the mansion. 

Regina's smile falters, hearing the nasal sound of Emma's voice. As she leads the two to her study, she fights the need to step into the blondes personal space, and ask her what's wrong. Regina begins to notice Emma's sudden tightness, only to conclude that Emma probably heard the raw tears in her throat, too. So, Regina smiles smugly.

"Allergies, Miss Swan"? She tilts her head and glances at Emma who sits down on the couch alongside herself with a silent sigh of relief. Bingo.

"Oh, yeah. The pollen, or something. Just keeps bugging me". Emma rubs the back of her neck "So, what are we-"

"Emma" Regina cuts her off softly. 

While Emma attempts to keep hidden the sudden and unnecessary blush that Regina caused by saying her name like _that_ , she takes a deep breath and speaks "What"?

Regina and Emma had recently begun to care for each other immensely. It all started when the two decided to begin discussing the sheriff and mayoral duties over lunch at granny's, which soon became the savior and the Evil queen gossiping about god knows what every Tuesday and Thursday. But recently, unbeknownst to them, it had become _Emma_ and _Regina._ And while it still makes Regina cringe, she might even consider Emma her friend. Either way, Emma is the only person Regina has. Other than Robin, of course. But as Regina sits here, looking into Emma's bloodshot eyes, she can't help but think she likes the smell of Vanilla and cinnamon far more than she does the forest. 

"You know you can talk to me, Emma" Regina looks down to their hands and slowly places hers on top of Emma's "I know we have had our ups and downs, and- well, the majority of those were all downs. But I'd like to think we have overcome that" Regina looks pleadingly into Emma's eyes, and like a cannon ball to a river dam, the tears begin to flow from Emma's eyes. 

"I- Regina" Emma looks down at their now interlocked hands, and sighs. "Where should I start" she looks back up. 

Regina smiles and attempts to drown out her mothers words in the back of her head _"love is weakness, therefore showing love is weakness"_ , but as she watches Emma open up to her in a way neither were expecting, she can't help but breathe out "The beginning. start at the beginning".

__**__**__**__

It's well past midnight when Emma and Regina begin to stir from a peaceful slumber. About half an hour into Emma's tearful rant, Regina suggested a glass of cider for the both of them. 4 and a half glasses later, including a few hours, they find themselves here. Regina sitting upright, with her head resting on the back of her couch, with a heavy Emma head in her lap, drooling onto her right thigh. Neither was aware of the other being awake, but both of them had the same reoccurring thoughts. 

It remains unknown to the both of them, when they went from enemies, to civil, to sharing drunken confessions and heartbreak sharing evenings that turn to nights. But, Emma and Regina have always had a different language. They hated each other when Emma stoop up for Regina the first time, _"She's not gonna die"._ They still hated each other, when Emma pushed Regina away from the wrath, saving her life. They still hated each other, when Emma believed in Regina, _"She's telling the truth"._ They still hated each other when Regina sent the one thing she loved most away, with Emma, for what seemed like forever. A thin line lies between love and hate. And Regina can't help but notice, that despite the hateful glares and shouts of _"He's my son"_ and _"He's not, he's mine"_ , Emma and Regina have always needed one another. And Emma and Regina both know they would be fools to ignore the potential that lies between them. But that's just it. They are both fools. Fools, stuck with men that smell of nature... and not the good kind. 

"Emma" Regina wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glanced at the clock on her wall, as she lightly shook Emma's shoulder. "Emma".

Emma slowly turned her head, to look up at Regina. Smiling sheepishly, she mutters under sleep "Hi".

Regina can't help but startle herself with the realization that Emma looks beautiful with sleep in her eyes. And that is when Regina, _foolish_ Regina, ticked. "You should probably be leaving" Regina points at the clock, and then looks back at Emma. 

A flash of hurt- no, _regret,_ flashed over Emma's eyes. "Right, uh-" She sits up and rubs her eyes. "I'll get going"

Regina stands up with Emma, ignoring the slow and progressing squeeze in her chest. "I'll walk you out".

The two come to a stop at Regina's front door, as Regina pulls it open and steps aside. "I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Swan".

Emma swallowed at the abrupt change in Regina's voice. She hesitantly stood in the doorway, to look back at Regina. 

"Thanks, Regina" She gave a soft smile, and turned to walk away.

Emma had made it half way down the front porch steps, when she felt a hand on her forearm, stopping her. She turned and glanced at Regina in confusion, "Everything alright"?

Regina dropped her hand, and ran it through her hair as she muttered a hardly audible "You're welcome, Emma", and soon returned to her mansion foyer, shutting the door without looking back at Emma's content smile. 

Emma, sitting in the drivers seat of her bug, and Regina, against the inside of her front door, both sighed. 

They were both scared shitless. 


	2. roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry knew something was up. Before the curse was ever broken, he had almost considered what might happen if the Evil Queen and The savior ended up locking lips. Even then, he knew it would look beautiful written on any paper. A birth mother meets her sons adoptive mother ten years after giving birth to him, and falls in love with her in the midst of them hating one another, and then proceeding to break a curse that reveals the identities of everyone in storybrooke. It was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Emma broke the silence in the sheriff station letting out a loud groan, allowing her head to drop dramatically onto the desk in front of her which was now crowded with tons and tons of papers that Emma can only assume had to do with the discussion she and Regina failed to have last night. Emma fought back an even louder groan as the night slowly came back to her. 

Regina and Emma did something that Regina and Emma never did before. They opened up to one another, and the moment they did, it was almost baffling. The potential for _more_ that was hidden underneath so many different emotions for so long. Emma, of course, remains confused about the entire situation. Regina practically asked Emma to open up to her. And then sometime in the middle of the night when it was all over, she shrugged Emma off like she was a hooker and Regina had only paid for an hour. Sure, Emma and Regina had never been so buddy buddy before, but did she just _have_ to get shrugged off like that? All people ever do to Emma is shrug her off. 

Just as Emma was finishing her thought, the last person she needed to see walked in. Robin Hood. 

"Hello, Emma" He seats himself on the opposite side of Emma's desk, and continues to talk. "I'm afraid I need a favor"

Emma sighs and leans back into her seat, crossing her legs at the ankles. "What can I do for you, Robin"? 

Emma had never liked Robin. He swooped in and became every ones topic of discussion for months, all devilishly handsome and charming in all the right ways. He was nice, and had the most adorable son in the world, apart from Henry, of course. Yet Emma loathed him. Well, she secretly loathed him. 

She _loathed_ him because Regina _loved_ him. 

Robin sniffs and shifts his gaze from Emma's sheriff badge to her eyes, "It's about Regina" He softened. "I-Well you see- I want to do something for her" he quietly nods.

Emma's throat goes dry, and she blames it on the smell of forest. Clearing her throat, she speaks a little too loud for the atmosphere "Like what"? Sitting up she slides the chair back towards her desk, picking up a pen and beginning to tap in on the wooden surface. 

"Well. The thing is, while I'm her soulmate, I- Well I'm afraid I don't actually know that much about her" He begins to rant, wildly moving his hands to emphasize "Like her favorite flowers, or- or" He struggles to find another example, finally settling on "Or her favorite food"! He looks pointedly at Emma, almost begging her to provide answers. 

"That's- uh" Emma angles her head to the side and furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "Why are you coming to me for this"?

"You are the closest person to Regina" He sighs "Apart from myself".

Emma sighs in defeat "Robin, I really-"

Speak of the devil.

"Robin"? Regina stands in the doorway to the sheriffs office holding a paper bag in her left hand and a drink in her right. "What are you doing here"? Regina smiles, allowing a hint of confusion to peak itself around the edges. 

"I-" Robin gets cut off by Emma.

"I had something for the Kid" She smiles at Regina, and then looks to Robin as she reaches under her desk and grabs an old Mp3 player with earbuds. "Things can get a little boring here, compared to the enchanted forest, I'm sure" Emma hands it to Robin, who looks at the device confusingly. 

Robin slowly nods his head, and turns to look at Regina "I could ask you the same question, your majesty" He smugly smiled in attempt to hide his intentions. 

"Well- I" Regina holds up the paper bag and drinks, and nods her head towards Emma, with a light blush adorning her cheeks "I brought Emma lunch". Emma stood from her seat to grab the contents from Regina, as Regina continues to speak "To thank her for last night, I appreciated the company" Regina looks at Emma softly, causing Robin to clear his throat and stand from his chair. 

"Well, I should be seeing you two lovely ladies some time again" Robin slowly brushes past Regina "Soon, Hopefully" He smiles smugly at her. 

Regina nods her head sideways, and smiles at him. 

Robin was almost outside when Emma noticed he had left Roland's "Gift" on her desk. "HEY"! She apologetically looks at Regina as she brushes past her to the exit.

"You forgot this" She gives him a knowing look, and watches him smile back at her.

"Thanks" He turns to leave.

"Oh- Robin" Emma goes to grab his attention one more time.

He looks at Emma, waiting for her to speak. "Roses. Her favorite flowers are Roses. She says she likes the simplicity of them" She slowly looks Robin in the eyes, and continues, "And her favorite food, well, She changes it all the time. But this week it's carbonara" She smiles, perhaps a little less convincing and begins to turn around when a hand touches her shoulder briefly. 

"I don't know what carbonara is, do you know how to make it"? He glances behind Emma to see Regina brushing her hair over her shoulder waiting patiently at Emma's desk. "I just really want to impress her" He smiles a little embarrassed, perhaps afraid of what Emma might think. 

"I'll find a recipe, just let me know when you're free and I can learn to cook it with you. Kill two birds with one stone" Emma laughs lightly, and turns away, walking back towards her office. 

Emma's smile dropped as she rounded near her office door, stopping to take a deep breath. Somewhere deep down, Emma knew exactly why she was getting chest pains. 

"Miss Swan" Regina nodded her hello.

"Regina" Emma moved to sit behind her desk, moving to grab the paper bag Regina had brought in. "Oh- man"! Emma closed her eyes as her stomach growled. "Grilled cheese" She mumbled from around the food in her mouth. 

"As graceful as always, Miss Swan" Regina smirked and readjusted her position in her chair, the air suddenly growing thick. "I just came by to bring you food" Regina looks at Emma, making it obvious she isn't done talking "And to apologize". 

Emma swallows her food and shifts her upper body forward "Apologize? Regina-" Regina holds up a hand, silencing Emma. 

"I was very.. abrupt in the way I made you leave last night" Regina sighs, allowing her facial expression to soften, but her voice never straying from professional. "I enjoyed our time together". She shifted her gaze away from Emma, leaving Emma speechless.

Emma's brain was flying all over the place, because she had heard exactly what she had wanted to from Regina, and she wasn't used to that. After a moment of silence, Emma commented with a toothy grin and child like voice "Time with me is always well spent" Emma giggled. 

Regina gave a closed smile, and nodded her head "Perhaps" She uncrossed her legs and began to stand. 

"Henry and I-" Regina breathes and brushes out her perfectly ironed skirt "We would like you to join us for dinner Thursday night" Regina questions.

"I'll be there" Emma tried to hide her excitement. "Say, 7"? 

"Good choice" Regina nods. "have a nice day, Emma" Regina stood in place, expectantly. 

"yeah, you too, Regina" Emma smiled, and after a beat picked up her half eaten sandwich. 

Oh boy, was Emma in deep. And Regina can't help but think so too, despite the fact that there is an existing forest boy presently searching for roses. 

\----------------------------------------

Regina hasn't been able to quit replaying her conversation with Emma in her head. Because it was Emma, or because she attempted to act humanly for once, shes not sure. But she can't place the emotions. So Regina, being a woman who doesn't often do well when it comes to pondering emotions, decided to schedule an appointment with Archie. Once you told the insipid bug the reason as to why you were going in the first place, he was relentless in putting the pieces together. This was likely a bad Idea. But- just as Regina was opening the door to Archie's building, someone stopped her. 

"Regina" Robin Hood smiled victoriously as he carefully removed Regina's hand from the door. "I thought that was you"

"Hm" Regina kept a stoic voice, but allowed a soft smile to grace her lips. He was her soulmate, after all. Despite the fact that _Emma Swan_ made her feel emotions that Daniel, her first love, had to practice for.

"So, I may or may not have made a quick stop to-" He turns his shoulder and glances behind him, pointing at the flower shop and frowning before turning back towards Regina with a smile "Game of thorns, to get the lovely lady her deserved flowers" He swiftly pulls the bouquet from behind his back. 

"Roses" Regina whispers. They were always Regina's favorite. They symbolized much more than what people believed them to, yet they held such simplicity. Her mother, Cora, had a rose garden. Regina used to run through it every evening, searching for only the best for her mother. Until one day Cora recognized the _love_ Regina carried for the blood red petals. And she burned every last one to the ground. Regina hated roses, until one day a stable boy brought her one as she was unsaddling her horse, with a hesitant smile and dirty hands. Then, Regina began to love roses. She brought roses to her fathers grave, and even her mothers. Even Daniels. 

"How did you know?" An exasperated Regina slowly grabs the Roses from Robin, inspecting every petal. Glancing up to him, she held a smile while her eyes displayed question.

"Well, coincidence, I guess" He sheepishly stands with his hands by his side. "Only the best for M,lady" He gave a crooked but sweet smile.

"They're beautiful, Robin" after a beat Regina swayed, becoming impatient. 

"Much like you" Robin nodded his approval, and sighed. "Things were a bit different in the enchanted forest when it came to, ah- well, courting" He laughed lightly "But I am growing accustomed to the ways of Storybrooke, and correct me if i'm wrong, but-" He takes a step towards Regina "I believe the next step would require me to ask the lovely lady out on a date, wouldn't you?" He smirked and rocked onto the fronts of his feet, Inches from Regina's face.

"I suppose that could be arranged" Regina smiled. 

Fairy dust. Fairy dust, from a beginner fairy, all those years ago, led Regina to Robin. _Soulmates_ is what they are. But it's all forced. It's never easy. It's always awkward air and hesitance. And while that often is one of the developing stages of love, Regina can't help but feel like it's never gonna go away. But, for her sake, and for her happy ending, she pushes. She forces herself to believe that he is her soulmate, and without Robin, she would remain alone, and without a happy ending. And so in that moment, she plays the part. And there is still an underlying sense of _Emma,_ gnawing at her brain, heart, and limbs. 

Just as Robin was leaning in, Archie opened the door causing the two to stumble backwards. 

"Regina" He smiled proudly. "I was wandering if you'd forgotten about me" He waves his hand at Robin, while holding the door open. 

"Come, come in" He watches as she nods her head slowly in both Robin and his direction, and paces into the building. "Have a nice day, Robin" Archie smiles and closes the door.

Robin smiles to himself. He couldn't wait to land his lips to Regina's again. He strode down the street with pride, nodding his head at passing by strangers.

_Bless you, Emma Swan._

_\----------------------------------------------------------_

Emma stood up from the chair in her office, placing her hands at the bottom of her back and pushing. "God- this stupid UN-cushioned seat" She said under her breath, letting out a yawn. Right on time, her cell started ringing. Tilting her head back allowing a childish groan to fill the room, she made her move to grab her cell from her pants. Without looking, she flipped the phone open. 

"Sheriff Swan" She sighed and walked towards the mini- break room in the station. 

"Hello, Swan" A rich accent floated through the phone. Hook.

"Killian, hey" Emma dropped her professional persona, and reached into the fridge for some leftovers David gave Emma the day before yesterday. She inspected the container, listening to the other end of the phone.

"Do you fancy a drink with the lonely and devilishly handsome pirate of yours" He flirtatiously smiled through the phone. 

"Of mine?" Emma placed the phone between her shoulder and ear, prying open the container.

"Of course, love. This pirate can't belong to everyone" Hook coughed, and muttered a few words under his breath.

"Right, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt. When? cause' I'm not off for another 45 minutes, and that's if Leroy doesn't go through with his weekly kill mailbox's plan" Emma said through the phone with a full mouth. 

"When you get off. At Granny's. With me" Hook made a tongue clicking sounds.

"Who else?" Emma cleared her throat. "I'll talk to you later hook, David is gonna be here soon and-" Emma sighed "Yeah"

"See you soon, Love" the phone clicked. 

Emma turned around in the break room, leaning her back against the counter top while pushing her fingers through her hair. She looked down at her boots, and couldn't help but let out a shaky sigh. She needed a break from life. From the savior, sheriff, daughter, woman. While Emma hates to admit to herself that she is every bit human as the last person, she can't help but realize that she needs a hug. And not from some pirate that smells of Rum and dirt. Maybe from her Mom. Or her Dad. Or her son. Or maybe Regina.

_Regina._

Emma trudged towards her desk and out of the break room, dragging her feet. Plopping back down into her chair, she rolled it forward to rest her head in her hands. Regina looks like she would be great to hug. I mean, she looks soft. She always smells like Apples with a hint of something sweet. And she's the perfect height, when she's not in her heels. Emma has about an inch on Regina. But when Regina is in her heels, they are eye to eye. Which is still considered a perfect hugging height, to Emma. "Regina would never hug me" Emma whispered with an obvious manner. Her and Regina had only recently become close, and really when Emma thinks about it, who else would they become close to? No one fits Emma like Regina does, and No one fits Regina like Emma does. It makes the most sense. 

Emma thinks back to Hook, who she will be joining for a drink soon, and she can't help the feeling of _"But I don't wanna gooooo"_ that graces her insides and reminds her of the way she once called out to her Social security officer. A feeling of knowing what is necessary, knowing that _safe_ and _expected_ and _boyfriend_ are all words that fall under the "Captain Hook" Category, but wanting something entirely different. But yeah, Hook was safe. He was there. And he wanted Emma. Emma wanted to be wanted, more than she allowed herself to want. The name of the person she _craved_ floated so far down in Emma's soul that even she didn't notice it.

_Regina._

_\----------------------------------------------------------_

"I hadn't pegged you as a woman who liked Roses, Madame Mayor" Archie opened the blinds to his office window, holding out a hand for Regina to take a seat.

Regina lamely held the roses up to inspect them for a second time, smiling to herself as she recalls the way Emma had said the same thing. In a far less formal manor, of course. God knows Emma Swan could never be so proper. She was no more than a teenager walking in a full grown woman's body. An attractive one, at that. Regina doesn't quite understand how Emma swan could be so masculine and clumsy yet so.... Beautiful. Regina was raised to believe it was impossible. Beautiful posture made a beautiful woman. Emma, like always, proved her wrong in the most wonderful and unexpected way.

"So" Archie slid down into his own chair, across from Regina. Crossing his legs, he looked into Regina's face kindly. "I'm hoping to temporarily drop the formalities for this session, is that alright with you, Regina?" Archie smiled.

Regina's lip spread thin as she took a deep breath, allowing her chest to expand. "I suppose so".

"Wonderful, lets begin" Archie smiled happily, a little too happily for Regina's taste.

"Where do I start?" Regina recalls the way Emma swan said the same thing to her, the night before. So trusting, and heartbroken. So unlike Emma. And almost coincidentally, Archie replied with "The beginning. Start from the beginning, Regina." 

\----------------------------------------------------------

Emma strode up to Granny's Diner, pulling her long and curled blonde locks out of an up-do she had done last minute on her drive here, deciding she preferred her hair down, anyways. Emma didn't get off of work for another hour, due to David being late to work per usual. He arrived with his normal persona on display, which only told Emma that Snow had _not_ noticed Emma's hurt, and her own mistake. So, like any other version of Emma Swan, she kept her mouth shut, played daughter, and grabbed her things and left before David could suspect she was dealing with an unnecessary amount of emotions.

"Mom!" The door to the diner slowly closed behind Emma, as she looked up to see her son and Hook sitting side by side at granny's bar.

"Hey, kid" She smiled, and pulled her leather jacket off, holding it in her lap as she moved to sit beside Henry, who was on Hooks right.

"Swan" Hook looked at Emma, raising an eyebrow in his ridiculously attractive own way, holding up a glass of what Emma knows is rum. "Don't you look lovely this evening" He sipped from his glass, then offering it to Emma.

"No, thanks" Emma lifted her hand, signaling for Red to come over. "I'll take a root beer".

"So, Mom, mind telling me why mom is at Archie's?" Henry looked pointedly out of the window and across the street, at a Regina holding roses briskly walking towards the diner.

Emma frowned, for two reasons. One, Regina went to Archie's. _Archie's_. Which can't ever be a good thing, considering Regina would often rather choke, than talk about her feelings. Two, because Regina was holding _roses._ Roses that Emma knows were given to her by Robin Hood. 

"I don't-" Emma finally looks away from the window, and at Henry's face, attempting a poor smile "I don't know, kid".

"Well, since Her Majesty is about to join us" Hook looked from the window and back to Emma. "I think you and I should reschedule"

Emma makes her confusion take over her facial features before she speaks "But-" She looked from her son back to Hook. "Henry has been here, why is it any different with Regina here?" Emma nods her head towards the door. 

"Why is what different with me here" Emma turned like a dear in headlights, towards Regina who stood in the doorway of Granny's. Taking a glance at the flowers in her hand, Emma looks back up to her eyes. "Nothing important" She sheepishly turns her head back, smiling at a passing by Red who handed her a root beer. 

Regina takes a few slow steps towards Henry, who is planted between Emma and Hook, and she places a sweet kiss to his forehead. Looking up from Henry, then to Hook with a grimace as she decided to take a seat beside Emma, who quickly tensed as if on cue. 

Hook slowly rises off of his stool, swallowing the rest of his rum. "I'll see you another day, Love" He placed his hand flirtatiously on Emma's upper arm. "Perhaps tomorrow?" He grinned, as if knowing a yes would be promised. 

Emma pondered, looking from Hook to Regina, who seemed to be very invested in her nails while holding a tight line between her eyebrows. 

"Sorry" Emma almost whispered, as she turned her head back towards Hook. "I'm having dinner with Henry" Emma glanced at her son and quickly added "And Regina".

Hook didn't hold back his frustration, as he began to gnaw his teeth together. "Right". He waved his hook, making an exit for the diner.

After a moment of silence, and a glance from Henry to Emma, Regina speaks "I apologize for raining on your parade, I hadn't intended on causing any issues with your pirate" Regina speaks softly, but with a hint of sarcasm.

"No" Emma sips at her root beer, while holding eye contact with Regina, breaking it to reach for a napkin "You're fine" She adds, while questioning the meaning behind _"Your pirate"_. Why does everyone consider him _her_ pirate? Sure, she kissed him in Neverland, and maybe a couple times after that. But as far as she understood, Hook and Emma were still in the new couple stage. Hook insisted on adding labels, like _girlfriend_ and _boyfriend,_ just to remove any confusion when it came to other men and woman who might be interested in the one of them. Which, Emma sighs, totally makes Hook her pirate. She just doesn't know why she's beginning to hate the sound of that.

The two share a look, one that had the other questing more and more as seconds were passing by. Eyes displaying what words never will. Emma slowly smiled, almost subconsciously, before she looked away and towards a confused Henry and Red, who were watching with curiosity from no more than two feet away. And Regina, noticing the eyes placed on Emma and herself, cleared her throat allowing a thin line to spread across her lips, as she looked back towards her nails. 

Red, almost noticing the instinctual facade Regina often put up, decided to break the ice. "Can I get you anything, Miss Mills?"

Regina sighed, a forced smile arriving into place as she looked up at Red "No, thank you, Miss Lucas".

"Alright, well-" Red stood straight, and observed the diner "I'll be back in a few" She smiled and walked away. 

Henry knew something was up. Before the curse was ever broken, he had almost considered what might happen if the _Evil Queen_ and _The savior_ ended up locking lips. Even then, he knew it would look beautiful written on any paper. _A bi_ _rth mother meets her sons adoptive mother ten years after giving birth to him, and falls in love with her in the midst of them hating one another, and then proceeding to break a curse that reveals the identities of everyone in storybrooke._ It was perfect. It'd make for a beautiful story. And Henry can't help but wonder if that's the way it should have gone. Because now, both of his mothers are stuck with smelly men, who don't deserve even an ounce of his Moms. As Henry's mind ponders with the above statement, he subconsciously lets out a yawn, gaining his mothers attention. 

"Henry, Dear. We should probably head home." Regina looked at Henry, her features growing soft. "I'll make lasagna." She smirked in victory as Henry quickly stood and grabbed his coat. 

Making a move off of her stool and placing a hand to Henry's back, Regina looks at Emma. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, at 7" Regina says, so obviously searching for reassurance that it _was_ still taking place. 

"Of course" Emma smiled at Regina, then glanced over to her son. "Bye, kid" He looked at Emma and waved goodbye, as Regina then guided the two of them out of the diner. 

Emma ended up leaving soon after, as the sun began to fall, and made her way across the street to her bug. 

Sliding into the drivers seat, she starts the engine and makes her way back to the station, which she had been sleeping at. Ever since what took place between her and snow, Emma came up with some silly excuse to stay at work. _"I get the job done quicker, and I'm never late, so Regina can't hold that against me"_ she sighed at how easily her mother dropped the topic. She wanted someone to fight for her. But no one ever fought for Emma swan, except for her son. 

Emma noticed a small change in Henry's behavior tonight, just before he left with Regina. And Emma makes a note to ask him about it. But in the mean time, Emma decided to turn up the volume and nod her head vigorously to "Paradise city, by Guns N' Roses", completely oblivious to a grinning Archie watching her drive away in her bug. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating this again tomorrow!! also- Please feel free to leave feedback! And any constructive criticism! This is my first Fanfiction. I plan to make this a slow burn, pretty lengthy story. As the story progresses, the rating will slowly change, so keep that in mind if you decide to continue reading. Thanks!


	3. Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina was her best friend. And Emma can already see the look of displeasure on Regina's face when she calls her that. But the fact is, that Emma Swan is nothing without her Best Friend, Regina Mills. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Emma took a deep breath, raising her left hand to knock on Regina's mansion door, when suddenly Henry swung it open. 

"Mom!" He jumped forward and hugged her enthusiastically, leaving her curious as to why he's been so...extra.

"Hey, kid" Emma planted her hands in her back pockets as she strode in beside Henry, turning towards him as he closed the door. "Where's your Mom?" Emma nervously chewed at her bottom lip, and tilted her head at the question. 

"She's in the kitchen, but she said for you to not go in there" Henry blinked several times, watching as Emma grew slightly concerned at the statement. He smiled knowingly at her and stood on the tips of his toes "And she also said to say that, you didn't do anything wrong, she just needs her cooking space." He almost laughed when he saw Emma relax, but quickly remembered why he had been so excited to see Emma in the first place.

"Oh!" He quickly grabbed her hand, leading her through the dining room and into the living area. "Now-" He grunted as he pushed the ottoman up to one of the chairs, grabbing two remotes in the process "Now, we play call of duty!". He threw himself backwards and into the chair, throwing his feet on the ottoman in nothing but Emma Swan fashion. Emma, who stood completely ragged and still the whole time, raised her eyebrows at Henry.

"Your mom lets you play this?" She gasp in amusement as she slowly trod over towards the sofa. "You'd think someone so-" Emma waved her hands in attempt to find the correct word for Regina's persona. "Well, someone who is a Queen" Emma smiled "And a Regal one at that" she bent over to slide off her boots, huffing "That she wouldn't let her son" one last grunt and she got the boot off "Play such an R rated game". She grinned at Henry and snatched the controller. 

"She say's I should be ready for war" Henry nodded his head vigorously, and turned to set up the match.

"No way" Emma's jaw dropped, almost believing Henry, before he pooped on her party. 

"Nah, every time I insist on playing, she always says my brain cells are going to waste away until my brain becomes sludge enough to slurp from my ears with a straw" He looked at an amused Emma, before turning back towards the T.V.

"Nuh uh!" Emma dropped her jaw once more to emphasize her surprise. "That's so..... horrid" Emma looked down at her controller, smirking at her remembrance on how to play.

"Yep" Henry spoke, letting the P pop, before mumbling that the match was beginning. 

Emma adjust her seat, leaning her upper body forward and resting her elbows on her knees with the controller in hand. "You're going down, Kid" She grinned at Henry.

"You wish" He spoke right after selecting his weapon. Emma, unbeknownst to Henry, had spent her fair share of years playing video games much like this one. Especially in group homes. As soon as Call Of Duty came about, Emma Swan became the champion in no time, beating every other kid until they sulked and ran to bed, throwing the next kid in line a controller. The key? Screen peeking.

"WHa-!" Henry looked at Emma, baffled at his sudden and unexpected death. Not paying attention to his screen, Emma found her place on the map once again, running full speed at Henry's character, knifing him, ending the game. 

"I-" Henry finally looked at the screen "WHAT!?"

"Henry, what have I told you about using your inside voice!" They both heard Regina from the kitchen, causing an Emma to grin at Henry and hold a finger up to her mouth, motioning for silence. "That is so not fair. just-" Henry dropped his controller and crossed his arms. With sudden excitement, he jumped from his chair. "I know one that you will never figure out!" He sped off and around the corner "I'll be back!" he ran up the staircase to grab what Emma could only assume was another game. 

Sighing to herself, Emma flopped down onto the couch completely, stretching her legs out. Closing her eyes, she began to let her mind wander. The house smelt absolutely heavenly, and Emma couldn't figure out what had her mouth watering and stomach growling and punching like it hadn't eaten in years. As if on cue, Emma's stomach let out a ridiculously loud growl, causing her to giggle. She placed her hand over her stomach, rubbing back and forth, as she rolled her head into the couch cushion. 

Emma was nervous. And while it may not be so obvious on the outside, thanks to her years as a bail bonds woman, she felt like someone was playing Jenga on her guts. Emma was nervous, because apparently even _Red_ had noticed the sudden shift in air when Emma and Regina made eye contact. _Eye contact._ Which should be something that any human is capable of doing, without looking like a love sick puppy. But no, the tension had been so thick, you could cut it like cake. 

She knew that what she was feeling was not a developing crush, but a feeling that had stayed beneath the surface all these years, roaring its head up only when it could easily be rationalized with _She's Henry's mom, I couldn't let anything happen to her. He'd hate me._

It all made perfect since. It was always about Regina, whether it should have been or not. At first, it was about making her angry. Emma would fire her up just to have her step so close into her own personal space, that she could see the flecks of gold in her eyes. Emma took pride in the way she was capable of making Regina's skin crawl. For about a year, it was just a way to get hot and bothered all the while pissed. But when they slowly became something to one another, whether it was within the saving lives and killing villains, Emma and Regina had lost their fire. 

Well, it just developed into a different type of fire. One Emma was not so familiar with how to handle. Or approach. Especially when she had a hook in her side. Emma giggled at her own pun, before dramatically sighing and rubbing her eyes with her palms. 

"Something funny, Miss Swan?" Regina stood looking at Emma from the entrance to the living area, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Yes" Emma grunted as she stood up, smiling at Regina.

Regina squinted her eyes suspiciously, trying and failing to hold back a smile "Please, Do tell"

Emma swallowed and took a deep breath, allowing her giggles to die out. "I've got a Hook in my side" Emma's smiled slowly fell, as she cleared her throat. "Yeah"

"I'm afraid I don't get the joke, Miss Swan." Regina pushed herself off of the wall "But don't stand there, Dinner is ready, and I've spent far to long perfecting it just to have it get cold" Regina looked at Emma from over her shoulder, as she walked towards the staircase, shouting for Henry to come down and join the two of them. 

_______________________________________________________

Dinner had been going smoothly.

Well, it had been. The three of them shared their usual small talk, which eventually led to Henry babbling his mouth about his newest video game, reeling in an impressed look from Emma, and a disappointing one from Regina. Until Emma released a moan of pleasure, touching the food to her tongue. Regina had been ready to address Henry about his new found obsession with video games, until she was stopped in her tracks and made to blush by a...food hungry Emma Swan. 

"God-" Emma moaned in approval "Regina, this is amazing" Emma took a sip from her water, eyebrows still furrowed in an attempt to concentrate on the taste.

"Stop being such a food whore, mom" And naturally Henry's next move was to shove his face with food. 

Henry's bold choice of words seemed to snap Regina out of her state of sudden and completely unnecessary arousal, as she shook her head "Henry" She gasped. "Watch your mouth" She raised an eyebrow in his direction, then began to glance at Emma as another wave of heat entered her cheeks, causing her to look down at her plate.

"Can't" Henry added "My eyeballs don't come out of my head" Henry smiled mischievously at his adoptive mother, turning to look at his birth mother who had her hand raised to high five him over the table. 

"Nice" Emma giggled, and picked up her fork once again to shove her mouth back into sensory overload, before she caught Regina's face, dropping her utensil.

Regina, who was originally looking at Emma in a mixture of confusion and lust, was now furrowing her eyebrows in distaste at the interaction between birth mother and son.

"You two are both children" She sighed, taking a sip from her glass of wine, then licking her lips.

A grinning Emma Swan looked teasingly at Regina "And what would you do without us, your majesty?" 

Regina wiped her mouth with her napkin, while scooting her chair back and grabbing hers and Henry's plate "Hmm" She pondered for a second, standing up right, then moving to look at Emma again "Probably extend my life span by 60 years". She laughed internally at the dumbfound look on both Emma and Henry's face, as she strode off towards the kitchen. 

Following behind was Emma with her plate, slowly slipping behind Regina to put her plate in the sink. 

"Want me to get those?" Emma looked at Regina, in an attempt to express her thanks for dinner. 

"No, that'll be alright" Regina sniffed, while washing a plate "It's expensive China" She looked at Emma and smiled "I'd rather it stay worth it's price".

"Alright" Emma leaned against the counter top, watching Regina. She slowly caught herself smiling, and it's when she realized she hadn't been this happy, or content, all week. Maybe longer than that. She loved the idea of Her, Regina, And Henry having more of these family dinner nights in the future. Emma felt at home. Being with her son, and someone Emma wants to consider her best friend, just makes her the happiest lost girl their is. Emma knows she is going to have to be careful, given the growing emotions she has developed for her former enemy, and her sons adoptive mom. But she's always been one to dive head first into things, and she was already swimming. Granted she may have hit her head on the dive down. 

Opening her mouth to speak, Emma then closes it at the ring of a door bell. Regina's eye squint in confusion as she turns off the running water, and drys her hands on a dish towel. 

"Were you expecting-?" Emma trips over her words, moving to follow behind Regina until she decides that's intrusive. 

"No" Regina looks back at Emma, signaling that she'll be back and turns around the corner, leaving Emma to occupy herself in the kitchen. Henry had obviously had something to tend to, lord knows when he might make it back down.

Emma sighed, leaning against the marbled counter top, crossing her feet at the ankles, and arms over her chest. _I like it here._

_**__**__**__**__**_

Regina brushed herself wrinkle free, and moved to open her door, clearing her throat in the process.

"Oh" Regina looked surprised at Robins reveal, who was standing just a foot in front of her, with a look of guilt. "Robin" She gasped, then subconsciously looked behind her to check and see if Emma or Henry had made their way to the foyer with her. "I-" Regina begins to speak, suddenly cut off by her supposed soulmate. 

"I noticed that Emma's yellow-" He pointed behind his shoulder with his thumb "Thing was here" He sighed. "But I haven't gotten one of those speaker thing's yet, so I wasn't able to call ahead of time" He shyly smiled, and glanced down at his hands, clearing his throat. 

"That's fine" Regina smiled, face still etching confusion. "Is everything alright?" 

"Yes- Yes, of course" Robin took a deep breath, looking at an expectant Regina. "Let's go out tomorrow night" He smiled at himself, glad that his voice didn't waver. 

Regina's eyes widened, as she hadn't been expecting an invitation at all. She considered saying that she had already made plans, but being the Mayor, she was quite aware that word would spread that she was sat at home all day. Turning her head slightly, Regina focused her eyes on a patch of dirt etched into his jacket. 

Looking up, Regina felt a smile spread across her lips. _Soulmate soulmate soulmate._ "I'd love to" She grinned. _Happy ending happy ending happy ending._

Seeing the look of relief in his eyes, Regina made a move to grab his hand that he was occupying with his other. "I'd really love to" She repeated herself, as if to convince her aching heart that the words were truthful. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, feeling more hollow in the chest with every fake smile and gesture. 

In the seconds of silence that passed as the two held their usual eye contact, Robins which held a repeating mantra of _She is beautiful_ and _I am lucky_ , and Regina's that held a _I have to_ and _It's my only chance at being happy,_ Emma swan entered the foyer, slightly taken back by the scene. 

"Oh, uh" She rubbed the back of her head "I didn't mean to interrupt" She looked at Robin apologetically. 

"That's alright" Robin carefully removed his hand from a dumbfound Regina "I was just asking the lovely lady to dinner" He smiled, placing his hands in his pockets. 

Emma felt a breathless "Oh" leave her mouth, just before she straightened up and put on a smile, one that was made to hide the small pinch in her throat "Well I'll leave you guys to it, I'm just gonna-" Emma pointed towards the dining room, to grab her jacket, signaling she'd be on her way out. 

Emma ignored the growing knot that moved it's way up from her stomach and to her throat, by clearing her throat and shrugging her jacket into place. 

Stepping beside Regina and Robin, Emma placed her hand briefly on Regina's bicep. "Thank's for dinner" She smiled and made her move to leave, speaking as she walked "And tell Henry I'll see him tomorrow."

Sighing, slightly taken back by Emma's sudden will to leave, she replied "Will do, Miss Swan"

After watching Emma drive away in her bug, Regina looked at Robin and gave a sheepish smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Regina tilted her head. 

"I'll keep my word" Robin nodded, and awkwardly made his move to leave, almost skipping off of the steps. Not even half way down the drive way, he looked back expecting to see a longing look from Regina, to find a blank white door staring back at him.

__________________________________________________________

Emma sighed as she fell back onto the bed that was placed in the corner of the jail cell in her office. Placing both hands behind her head, she began to wonder. 

When did Regina mean this much to her? _She always has._ And when did it hurt so much to see Regina with Robin Hood? _Ever since he bopped into storybrooke._ The relentless pull in Emma's heart had her wanting to laugh. She hadn't felt this way since her new born baby was being taken out of a hospital room, as her hand was cuffed to the bed, and she readied herself to be taken back to prison. What made the realization of her feelings even worse, is the fact that Emma just _knew_ that Regina would never in a million years, 10 curses, or any other realm, look at Emma Swan the way Emma looked at her. And Emma wasn't willing to give up their friendship over this. They had worked way too hard to get where they were, and Emma wouldn't let it go to waste. For both her sake, and Henry's. Regina _was_ her best friend. And Emma can already see the look of displeasure on Regina's face when she calls her that. But the fact is, that Emma Swan is nothing without her Best Friend, Regina Mills. 

Sighing, Emma sits up in the cell, making her way to her desk to occupy her brain with paperwork, and maybe even distract herself from the bitter pull in her chest and gnaw in her heart. 

___________________________________________________________

"Emma! I've got the game, are you ready?" Henry comes to a stop at the end of the staircase, panting while looking at Regina who sits at her dining room table, once again fascinated with her fingernails. _She's been doing that a lot lately,_ Henry thinks. 

"She just left, Henry" Regina looked at him and smiled, showing empathy for the boy. "But if you want, maybe we can share some ice cream" She stood up from her chair, pushing it back under the table "And watch that show you've been so consistent about" Regina smiled tightly, patting a confused Henry on the back as she made her way to get the Ice cream from the kitchen. 

Regina thought back on her evening, Recalling the way an Emma Swan had looked at her before the two of them were interrupted by Robin. Regina could have sworn with every fiber of her being that there was something in Emma's eyes, like an underlying emotion that was refusing to peek its head up and over the ledge. 

Sighing, Regina grabbed two bowls down from the cabinets above her, and two spoons from the drawer to the left of the stove. 

Emma looked at Regina in a way that made Regina want to ask her, _Why are you looking at me like that?_ Regina had grown used to the way people would look at her. She had gotten _good_ at reading the emotions people would often put on display when interacting with her. It was always a variation of things, like _lust,_ and _jealousy,_ and _empathy_ , or _anger_ , _hate...._ Regina was used to Henry looking at her like she was his _mother,_ and she was also used to people looking at her like she was _a_ mother. But recently Emma Swan looked at Regina in a way Regina couldn't figure out. Regina used to look Emma in the eyes and see _passionate anger_ , or _regret_ , like when Emma brought back Marian. But lately, all Regina saw was.. someone who cared. Someone who considered her a friend. Emma Swan was her Friend. No, Emma was her _Best Friend._

Regina had been questioning a lot of things right now, that involved Emma. Like, why she grows as green as her sister when she sees Emma with a certain pirate. Or why Emma's eyes are so hard to look away from, when locked with her own. Little things that have Regina thrown for a loop. 

Regina scoops ice cream into the bowls, sighing. She knows she feels something for Emma. Really, she should have seen it coming. The savior would be the Evil Queens undoing. But she has Robin. And Robin is safe. So Regina repeats in her head, that Emma Swan is her Best friend. And what she feels, can easily be put under a category called _things you feel for your best friend,_ and brushed off as something platonic. 

"You comin' ma?!" Regina heard Henry yell from the living area. 

"I'm coming, sweetheart" Regina places the ice cream back in the freezer, turning to grab the bowls, but pausing. Smiling, she grabs out her cellphone. She scrolls through her contacts, looking for Emma's, and types out a message. 

_You're my best friend, Emma._

She sighs and places her phone down on the counter, smiling and making her way towards Henry with the ice cream.

______________________________________________________

Emma lifted her head up off of her desk, face forming a look of displeasure at the drool on her forearm. She had fallen asleep in a slew of paperwork. Sniffing, Emma grabs her cell phone, unlocking it to search for the received message that sent a vibration through the wooden desk, waking her up. 

_You're my best friend, Emma._

It was from Regina. 

She called Emma her best friend. 

_Best friend._

Emma smiled, heart melting into nothing as she typed out her response. 

_You're my best friend, too._

______________________________________________________

It was now the middle of the night, when Regina stirred from her sleep, looking at the television to see a laughing bugs bunny. She attempted to sit up, only to be stopped by a heavy force keeping her pressed down. Smiling lightly, Regina took in Henry's sleeping form. Looking to her right, she reached for the remote to the T.V and muted the volume. Dropping her head back down to the couch while taking a breath so deep, it caused Henry's head to bob on her abdomen, she rubbed her eyes. 

"Mom?" A sleepy Henry groaned from her stomach.

"Yes?" She toyed her fingers through his hair. 

The air grew still and silent for a moment, convincing Regina that Henry had fallen asleep again, until he whispered a barely audible "I don't think Killian is right for ma". He melted into her touch, sighing at his own statement. 

Regina swallowed, and closed her eyes. "I don't either, Henry".

Soon after, Regina counted at least 4 snores from Henry, when she made her move to extract herself from beneath him. 

Successfully doing so, Regina carried the dishes into the kitchen, placing them in the sink. As she rinsed them out, she caught glimpse of her cell phone, that lit up with a _10% battery_ warning. Regina grabbed her phone, and swiped it up.

_You're my best friend, too._

And Regina couldn't wait to see Emma again, suddenly dreading the date she had made with Robin.

_Best Friend_

Regina hummed to herself.

 _Who would have thought?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SSOORRYY! This chapter is a little short, But I'm onto the next one already. You'll have another chapter tomorrow! Leave any ideas of things you'd like to see take place. I'll probably write them in if you do.
> 
> Much love! Xo


	4. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It felt like warmth and butter fly's, happy memories and comforting tunes, and the content feeling of your body relaxing into soft satin sheets Regina longed for all day everyday. And suddenly, Regina knows. She just knows, that hidden in the quarrels and wars of words, she had always felt this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a lot going on, as it's my way of pulling the plot together. In just a couple of chapters we will be focusing on just Emma and Regina. So, with that said, enjoy!

_Hey, you've reached Emma swan's voice mailbox, sorry I can't get to the phone. Try again later, or leave a message._

"Emma!" And exasperated Snow spoke through the phone. "I've been worried about you, I haven't seen you recently, and I just-" Snow sighs. "I want to make sure I didn't do anything wrong. Your father and I miss you." A beat "So does Neal." She grips the phone tighter, pressing it further against her cheek. "Call me back. k. I love you" And she hung up.

Gnawing her bottom lip, Snow sighed and dropped down into a sitting position perched on the edge of her couch. 

"Did she answer?" David looked concerned, eyebrows furrowed as he moved his eyes back and forth from Neal to Snow.

"No" She frowned, staring down at her flip phone. 

"I think I'm gonna run down there soon" He sighed, handing Snow a cup of hot tea, sitting down next to her.

Snow looked at David, then to Neal who was babbling around on the floor with his toys. "Your shift doesn't begin for another two hours". She gave him a puzzled look.

"Exactly, so that way I'm given enough time to talk to Emma about some things- you know" He rubbed her back, releasing air from his nostrils in the process.

Snow nodded her head, leaning back into Davids touch. Frowning, she handed Neal his stuffed bear that was sat beside her. 

David stood up, planting a kiss to Snows temple. "I'll let you know how it goes". Soon after, he was in his truck on the way to the station.

\----------------------------------

Regina planted a kiss on Henry's forehead, before watching him walk down their drive way and to his school.

It was still early morning, the dew on the grass giving a sparkle as the sun reflected off of it. Breathing in the fresh air, Regina closed her eyes and stood stoic, until 5 seconds later her cell phone started buzzing.

Surprised, she inspected the unknown number, before cautiously answering and turning around to go back inside. "Regina Mills" She sternly spoke, while closing her front door.

"Robin Hood" A familiar voice spoke through the phone, in a mocking manner.

She laughed into the phone, moving it to her other cheek as she entered her study. "Did you finally get a cell phone?"

"Yes, M'lady, I suppose I did" He flirted. "I was just calling to give you the details on our date, if that's alright with you?" He cleared his throat, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, I think those are very necessary" She spoke lightly, distracting herself with a tassel that belongs to a throw pillow.

"Is sundown appropriate?" He asked. 

"Yes, I'll be here" She held and expressionless face, but made an effort to sound pleased.

"Well, I guess that's about it then. I'm-" He cut his self off, then spoke again "I'm going to close the phone now"

Regina laughed internally at how much he had to learn in this world, before replying with a simple "Alright", soon realizing the line had already gone flat.

\----------------------------------

Emma woke to the sound of boots on tile floor, marching their way into the station. Stretching, she squinted her eyes, allowing the light to slowly seep through. As her eyes began to adjust to the room, Emma turned her head towards the noise, her eyes finally settling on a concerned David. Pretending his presence wasn't noticed, Emma then froze. 

"You awake?" He walked towards the cell cautiously, before leaning against the bars.

Emma gave in. "No" She sighed, before letting out a boisterous groan, hopping off of the bed in a manner that proved power naps to be a thing.

Emma sauntered towards the break room, popping a coffee pod in the keurig before inhaling the aroma as it brewed. Her voice deep and scratchy, she spoke "You're early" then cleared the sleep from her throat. 

Faking innocence, David nodded his head "Well, yeah-" He smiled "I wanted to talk".

Stirring the sugar and creamer into her coffee, then cleaning off the spoon and placing it in the sink, she sighed. "bout' what" 

He fiddled with his belt buckle, deciding to break the ice. "Your mother." He followed up with a smile that proved second hand guilt.

Turning with her coffee cup in hand, Emma cast a side glance towards her father, "Oh boy".

They made their way into Emma's office, Emma fiddling with her hair, sipping from her coffee, and David placing his badge and holster on his hip.

"She think's you're avoiding her" He spoke softly, struggling with the holster on his side. 

Emma squinted her eyes in question, looking directly into his face before speaking evidently "That's because I am".

Puzzled by Emma's frank statement, he readjusted his feet below him, tilting his head at her. Opening his mouth to speak, Emma cut him off.

"Look" She sighed, placing her palms down on her desk and leaning across it. "It's early, and I would like to at least put food in my stomach before having this conversation" She dropped her head in annoyance "In fact, I would very much like to avoid it. By eating. And you're on office duty, so you can't follow me". She grabbed her leather jacket from the back of her chair, shrugging it on and pulling her hair out from underneath it. 

"Emma" David sighed her name. Taking two steps towards her, before stopping.

"I'm fine" She grabbed her keys off of her desk, and made her way to the exit. 

Emma was the furthest thing away from fine. 

Unlocking her bug, Emma slid into the drivers seat, once getting inside letting out a large huff of breath. 

Emma had been up most of the night, thinking about a certain _someone._ Thinking about how that someone had called Emma her _Best Friend._ And how Emma couldn't wait to see her. 

She was almost 100% positive that Regina would be the only thing keeping her from slicing someones jugular today. 

__**__**__**__

Regina strode into the sheriffs station an hour after Emma left, expecting to find her there. She made sure to hide her nervousness and excitement beneath the surface, by keeping her face as stoic as it always was. Since last night, she had told herself she was going to come see Emma in person, to inspect the newfound boundaries that come with being someones Best Friend.

Regina had never had a Best friend before, so it was important that she didn't mess this up. 

She internally scoffed at herself, almost causing her to turn back around. _Regina Mills, does not care about friendships._

But, everyone had, however, noticed the way Regina had begun to soften. Some even went as far as to call her the _former_ Evil queen.

Rounding the corner that leads to the sheriffs office, Regina finds a puzzled David looking up at her.

"Regina" He softened once he recognized her presence. 

The charming's had also, as Regina so eloquently put it, begun wrapping Regina in their incredibly and sickeningly sweet grins and gestures. She secretly appreciated it.

"Charming" She leaned forward to cast a glance around the room. "Where is the sheriff?" she looked pointedly at David, attempting to pull an intimidating look to the surface, and failing to do so. 

She watched as his face slowly fell. "She's off the clock" He sighed.

Regina knew that, but she also knew Emma normally stayed an hour after her shift was over, making sure everything stayed situated as Mulan or David worked the office. She had never said it to Emma's face, but she did often acknowledge how responsible of a sheriff she was.

"Do you have any Idea where she went?" She asked 

"Lord knows" He shuffled his chair closer to his desk. "She wasn't exactly happy".

She frowned, having an idea as to why Emma was upset, but playing coy anyways. "Well, do you know why?"

"No" He furrowed his eyebrows "It's why I tried to talk to her in the first place". 

With a stern nod to her head, Regina decided to make her way out of the station and into her Mercedes. 

Before putting the car in reverse to back out of the parking space, she sat contemplating whether or not she should call Emma Swan. 

Regina had been on the tips of her toes all morning, fighting back the urge to call her. When the curse was first cast and Regina discovered television, she had quickly caught up on the things Best Friends did for one another. And she had always felt an underlying urge to have one. For a small while she likes to think she was vaguely that close to Katherine, but once the curse was broken, it was over almost as quick as it had begun, and that loss didn't hurt as much as the _thought_ of losing Emma Swan.

So, hitting the call button on Emma's contact, she pushed the phone against her cheek and listened as it rang.

__**__**__**__

When Emma left the station, she had called to place an order at granny's, not feeling up to socializing. 

So, here she sits at the docks, holding an unwrapped breakfast burrito in her hand contemplating eating it. She doesn't have much of an appetite, anyways. 

Shoving the food back into the brown paper bag, Emma shuffled into a more comfortable position. These benches around storybrooke were far from comfortable, but then again most benches were. 

All morning Emma had been thinking back to the conversation that took place between her and Snow, and then her and David, and how she was going to approach the topic once one of them brought it up again. She couldn't ignore them forever. And she most certainly wasn't going to forget it ever happened, because she was far too wounded to pretend such a thing. On top of that, She's been thinking about what she is going to say to Regina when she gets the chance. How should she act? Should she hug her? Or act normal? And just like icing on the cake, she's trying to ignore a slew of incoming messages from Hook, him asking when he can see her next. Preferably alone. 

Grimacing at the uncomfortable wood beneath her, Emma finds herself jumping at sudden and loud vibrations coming from her hip. Sighing, she reached for the phone, turning it over to glance at the contact name.

A smile so big grew on Emma's face, you'd think she slept with a coat hanger in her mouth. 

"Hello?" She answered the phone, speaking through a smile.

"Emma" Regina spoke softly, sounding happy to hear her voice. "I was just-" Emma heard Regina sigh, before softly speaking again "I was just at the station, and your sickeningly wonderful deputy told me you might not be in the best of moods."

"Oh" Emma brushed some hair out of her face, tucking it behind her before continuing "Well, did you need anything?" She asked softly, almost hoping the answer to question was yes.

Regina cleared her throat "I would like to see you" She spoke through the phone, internally kicking herself for sounding so inflexible. 

Emma smiled and laughed, "Couldn't stay away from me, huh?" 

"Oh yes, Savior" Regina mocked, dripping sarcasm "The charming genes have begun to brainwash me, it seems"

The both of them smiled through the phone, until Emma broke the silence. 

"I'm at the docks" She shoved her opposite hand in her jacket pocket. 

"The docks? Why are you at the docks?" Regina asked, unbeknownst to Emma, turning her car around. 

Emma hummed through the phone, contemplating her answer "Just wanted some fresh air"

Regina nodded in silence, then sighed "Well I suppose I could use some of that fresh air, too" 

"And your charming Savior" Emma toyed with Regina, giggling. 

"Yes, and my savior" Regina laughed, pretending to not be affected by the statement. "I'll be there soon"

She waits for Regina to hang up, before dropping the phone to her lap, letting out an exasperated sigh.

She _wishes_ she was Regina's Savior. 

__**__**__**__

"When did she start acting like this again?" David looked at his wife, who was sitting across from him in a booth at Granny's Diner. It was his lunch break, so he decided to call her up to make sure she was doing okay, asking her to the diner, since she had been incredibly worried over Emma's lack of communication. 

Snow scratched at the back of her neck, eyes expressing worry, her hands frantic when they moved. "I hadn't exactly been keeping track, David" She blew air out from her lungs before dragging it back in to keep talking "But I think sometime Tuesday night?" She sighed, subconsciously fiddling with her napkin.

"Okay, and what about anything you might have said to her? Can you back track a little bit?" David asked his wife, slowly placing his hand over hers to still her ticking movements. 

Snow looked taken back by his question, opening and closing her mouth while searching for words. "You- I-" Finally closing her eyes and taking a final breath. "You think I said something to her? You think I upset our daughter?" 

"Well, yeah, Snow. It's possible." He looked into her hurt eyes, in attempt to reassure her. "And that doesn't mean you did it purposely. Emma is a hard cookie to crack, always has been. She's got these walls, and sometimes we- meaning you and I- as parents tend to mash them unintentionally." He breathed through his nostrils, and swallowed. "So I'm going to need you to think about the last couple of things you said to her."

"Well I- I don't know" She looked at their hands, interlocked. Squinting her eyes in concentration, then looking up at David again "You know, she did say that she was headed to Regina's, maybe something happened between them? I mean-" She squeezed his hand to emphasize "You know how much she secretly means to Emma."

"Hmm" He glanced around the diner. "I don't think that's it, Regina stopped by the sheriffs station today to look for her. I think that's our first clue that nothing happened between the two of them" He took a sip from his coffee "Regina is first to avoid any type of conflict, so she would be attempting to stay away from her."

Snow shook her head in negation "Unless" A small smile grew on her lips "Maybe, Regina was there to apologize?"

"Snow, Honey, No" David sighed, feeling bad for his wife "She told me she was avoiding you" he frowned.

"Oh" Snow sniffed, then looked down. "Well then, I guess I did do something" She gave a guilty look to David.

"Don't worry" He smiled to reassure her "We will figure it out" Moving to grab her other hand, searched for her eyes. "Hey, we always do".

__**__**__**__

Regina walked with her hands in her pockets across the boardwalk towards an oblivious Emma Swan. 

Emma had her knees pulled up to her chest, long arms to hold them in place. Her golden hair blew messily with the wind behind her, causing her to occasionally brush a piece out of her face. Closing her eyes, she turned her face upwards towards the sky, revealing rosy red cheeks, and a defined jawline, that made it hard for Regina to look away.

Anyone in Storybrooke would advocate that Emma Swan is Beautiful. But she's the special type of beautiful.

She's the kind of beautiful that has you wanting to cast glances in her direction far too often, which goes to say enough. But once you get to know Emma, and her small irregular features, such as the way one side of her mouth falls more than the other... well, she becomes breathtaking. 

Especially to Regina. 

Sitting silently beside Emma, she left her presence unknown, looking out towards the ocean. 

She stayed quiet beside Emma, until she heard her release a long drawn out breath, causing her to turn and look at her. 

"Holy shit!" Emma jumped in her seat, eyes wide. Once she recovered, pulse slowing down back to normal, she looked at Regina who was now laughing lightly beneath her breath "You bitch" Emma laughed and lightly shoved her with her elbow. "How long have you been there?" Emma, still smiling, looked back towards the ocean. 

"Not long" Regina grinned, crossing her legs.

The two shared comfortable silence for a few moments, before Emma broke the silence. "You wanted to see me?" It could have passed as a whisper. 

Regina, slightly startled because she had grown Entranced with the soft roll of the waves, looked at Emma, who's attention was still on the ocean. 

Not exactly knowing what to do or say, Regina stayed still until the silence caught Emma's attention, their eyes finally reaching each other. 

And there it was again. That long lost emotion that stayed buried in the pit of Regina's stomach, an emotion no one had managed to bring out in her since Daniel. It felt like warmth and butter fly's, happy memories and comforting tunes, and the content feeling of your body relaxing into soft satin sheets Regina longed for all day everyday. And suddenly, Regina knows. She just knows, that hidden in the quarrels and wars of words, she had always felt this way. Ever since a soft spoken _"Hi"_ floated past her ears, in her driveway. And for a moment, she almost has the courage to tell her. And it is the _what if_ that makes her pull back. _What if_ something happens to Emma because of Regina. Every one she ever loves gets hurt. And _what if_ Robin really is her soulmate, and she ruins him by choosing someone else? And last but not least, _what if_ there isn't even anyone else _to_ chose? Emma Swan was the product of True love. For her to feel things for someone like Regina....well it would just be foolish.

Clearing her throat, Regina looked down at the lapels on Emma's jacket, then out to the ocean again. She caught out the corner of her eye, as Emma furrowed her eyebrows.

"Emma?" Regina almost pleaded for her attention, almost frantically searching for her eyes again.

Emma who had never looked away, looks even more intensely into Regina's. "Yeah?"

Taking a deep breath, then deflating, Regina whispered vulnerably. "You're my best friend" She looked down, pushing hair behind her ears. "I don't know what to do with that".

Emma smiled, feeling her heart melt and explode all at once "And you're mine, too". Emma sighed, smile only falling a little "And I don't know what to do with that, either".

Regina looked at Emma, tilting her head in understanding, reaching to hook her middle and ring finger in whatever fingers of Emma's she could reach.

They sat like that for an hour in silence, until Emma received a call from Blue, complaining about a drunk and grumpy Leroy committing crimes through destruction of property. Shortly after the call ended, they had shared their normal goodbyes, only laced with a hint of admiration. 

__**__**__**__

"Come on, Leroy. Just get in the damn car" Emma huffed in annoyance. She had been fighting with an undersized ogre for the past 10 minutes, having arrived at the chapel less than 10 minutes after Blue called.

"No, sheriff" He pointed his finger in her face "I will not get in that yellow BLOB, because I haven't DONE ANYTHING!" He attempted to march around Emma, until she swiftly used her leg to swipe his out from underneath him, rolling him onto his front, placing the spare cuffs she kept in her console on his wrist.

Grunting, she pulled him up off of the ground. "Sorry, buddy". She shoved him into the passenger seat of her bug, slamming the door behind him, bending over to catch her breath. 

"I apologize, Emma. Thank you for your help, it is much appreciated" Blue stood upright, with her arms crossed elegantly in front of her, smiling at Emma.

"It's no problem" Emma brushed it off with a smile as she walked to the opposite side of her Bug, "I'd much rather be doing this than rescuing cats from trees".

Emma gave a wave, slamming the door to the bug shut, speeding off towards the station.

Apparently David hadn't answered the phone at the station, which lead to Blue contacting Emma's personal. And boy, was Emma pissed. 

__**__**__**__

Emma marched, pushing Leroy in front of her, into the station. Catching the looks of Robin Hood, Snow, and David, with annoyance and anger evident on her face, she shoved him into his cell.

"Jesus woman, watch it!" He jabbed his hand towards Emma, who muttered a quiet and apologetic "Sorry" beneath her breath, as she closed and locked it. 

"Emma" Robin

"Emma" David

"Sweetie" Snow

The three of them chimed in at once, causing Emma to turn around quickly and throw her hands in the air.

"Since when is the sheriffs office a hangout spot, huh?" She angrily looked between Snow and Robin, even at David, before rubbing her temples. "One at a time please, and then I'm leaving" She sighed, and placed her hands on her hips.

"How-"

"I-"

Robin and Snow both looked at each other, Robin then deciding to go first again.

"I need help with the-uh" He stared into Emma's eyes, as if it would help her understand what he was saying. "I need help with the whole cooking Regina a meal, thing" He muttered.

Right. Emma had forgotten that she promised Robin her help with making carbonara. She most certainly hadn't expected it to happen so soon, either. But, she remembers that robin had asked Regina out when she was at her mansion for dinner, so she knows there is no backing out of it. 

"Okay" She huffed, turning to look at a passed out Leroy, then back to David. "Don't let him out until morning, he'll just go tear something else up" She begun walking, and nodded her head for Robin to follow along. 

"Wait- Emma" Snow made an attempt at going after her, until David blocked her.

"Not yet" He sighed, still looking at the exit of the room.

This was gonna take a while.

__**__**__**__

It was now 4:00 pm, and Emma was trying her _very_ best to keep her patience about her. Never in her life, did Emma Swan think she'd be teaching _Robin Hood_ how to cook carbonara, much less for the _Evil Queen._ AND, to top it all off, in _Red riding hood's Grandma's_ Kitchen. But, here she was, teaching him how to measure shredded Parmesan cheese.

"And this is 100% necessary, yes?" He looked from the measuring cup to Emma. "You can't just-" He made a sprinkling motion with his hand "Throw it in there, however much you like?"

"No, that's the whole point of Recipe. You see, you could always add however much you wanted, but it would just ruin the overall taste and consistency of the dish". She put a pinch in her mouth, before moving on to the next ingredient. 

"Now we need-" She ran her eyes up and down the recipe paper, reading out the next ingredient. "Olive oil" She looked up at Robin.

She moved to stir the noodles on the stove top, and sniffed at the awkward silence that then filled the air.

Clearing her throat, she brought up the only topic of discussion she could think of.

"So, Regina, huh?" She glanced knowingly at Robin, watching as a smile grew on his face. 

"Oh yes" He grinned, finally getting a hang of the measuring cup. "She's absolutely wonderful".

_Emma agrees._

"Hm" She swallowed thickly, turning the stove off and moving to the last ingredients. "You like her?" She cast a small smile at Robin, in a teasing manner.

"No" He shook his head. "I love her". 

He grinned at himself, and then at Emma, who suddenly found it hard to breathe, but gave her best grin. 

"I'm happy for you."

_And devastated for me._

___**__**__**__  
_

Regina took one last look in the mirror, brushing out her black dress. It wasn't exactly formal, being as she wore it around the house all day, but she felt it would do the trick.

Sighing, she turned at the sound of a doorbell, grabbing her purse off of the hooks that sit on her foyer wall. 

"Goodbye, Sweetheart!" Regina looked pointedly up the staircase, smiling when she heard her response from Henry, before opening her front door.

Regina flashed her prettiest _fake_ smile in Robins direction, taking a few steps out of the house, and shutting the door. "Are we ready?" She asked.

"Yes, and My do you look beautiful this evening" He grinned, giving her a quick peck to the cheek.

She laughed, walking with her arm interlocked with his down the steps. "Well, I suppose I tried".

"I hope you don't mind walking with me, I don't exactly have one of-" He pointed at Regina's car as they made their leave "Those, yet".

Regina hadn't exactly put on her most comfortable heels, but she figured she'd be fine. "That will work. Where are we going?"

"Oh, I thought we could eat outside of Granny's." 

"Granny's? I think I might be a little overdressed, then." She laughed a little uncomfortably, already grimacing at the pain radiating from her heels. 

"Oh, I wouldn't say so" He grinned mischievously. "But we definitely wont be using her menu." 

In just a few _painful_ minutes, Regina spotted what she assumed was their seat, that held more roses, a bottle of her favorite wine, and some dish she couldn't make out from where she was standing.

Watching as people made their way in and out of Granny's, Regina sat in a chair that Robin pulled out for her. 

"Wait-" She sniffed, then taking another look at the food that was just set out for them. "Is this Carbonara?" She looked questioningly at him.

"Yes I-" He cleared his throat, then looking down sheepishly "I had a little help".

"Really? From who?" Regina was very curious as to who would know all of this about her, including her favorite wine.

He coughed one more time, almost appearing slightly uncomfortable, then answered. "Emma" He smiled.

Oh. _Oh._ Emma did this. 

And then it dawned on Regina. The _roses._ That's why Robin was at the sheriffs station. 

All of it made complete sense. Only Emma knew her well enough to know that her favorite dish _this week, of course,_ was carbonara. And only Emma knows her favorite wine, because Emma had brought her some one evening, apologizing for finishing the bottle the night before.

_It was all Emma._

Coughing, Regina smiled and looked surveyed the table once more. 

"I-...I-" Regina suddenly frowned, catching Robins attention. 

"What? Did I do something wrong?" He began to move for her hand.

Regina wanted nothing more than to get up and go looking for Emma, possibly run into her arms, and kiss her relentlessly. But she once again repeated what she had told herself just this afternoon. 

_Emma Swan could never feel for me that way._

"Everything is perfect" She swallowed, then flashed a toothy grin.

Emma did all of this because she was her Best Friend, not because she _liked_ her.

So Regina stayed. 

__**__**__**__

It was now past dark, and Regina had finally arrived at her destination. 

Robin had insisted on walking her home, but Regina declined, stating that she had matters to handle in town anyways.

That wasn't exactly a lie.

So, here she was, stood outside of Snow and Davids apartment, working up the courage to knock. 

What to say? She doesn't have a clue. But she's sure she will wing it. 

Knocking on the door, she stood patiently, waiting for an answer. 

"Regina?" The door opened inch by inch to reveal a sleepy David with Neal on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" He looked at her confused. 

"Is Emma here?" She looked past his shoulder into the apartment, and back to him.

"What? No. Emma has been staying at the station." He looked at Regina, in a way that told her he had expected her to know this already. 

"Right. I'm sorry to interrupt, I'll be leaving now." She nodded Her head at him, and turned around deciding to make her way back home. 

Her feet were killing her, and she was tired, and Henry was there by himself. 

Maybe it's supposed to be like this. 

_Maybe._

__**__**__**__

Emma lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, doing her best not to let tears come out of her eyes, because that was a sign of weakness. 

She sighed, rolling over and onto her side.

_Maybe it's supposed to be this way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating again tomorrow!! Leave feedback.


	5. And Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he Grinned to himself, sitting on the edge of his bed, he finally made a decision that he had been contemplating for the past week or more.
> 
> Time for operation swanqueen to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this is too short for your liking! Today was incredibly busy, but I will make sure to have you another chapter by tomorrow night.  
> Our ladies addressed some important things in this chapter, but stay patient with me. The wait will be worth it.  
> I also apologize in advance for any typos, as I don't have the time to check them tonight.  
> and....  
> Enjoy!

It wasn't easy. Having feelings for your Best Friend. 

Because telling them either meant one of three things.

One, they wouldn't feel the same, and they'd freak out, and you'd lose them. That, the majority of the time, is what made it so difficult to do. Because you'd rather suffer, than lose them because of your own selfish feelings. 

Two, They don't feel the same, but continue to stick around you, feeling guilty for any pain they might have caused you. Sticking to you like loose hair on the sticky side of duct tape. And you can't handle that, either. Because how would your friendship ever recover? There would always remain an uncomfortable feeling, because one of you _knows_ that the other is harboring feelings that aren't reciprocated. And you don't want their pity. You want them.

And Three. 

Three only happened in fairy tales or sappy teenage movies. Three meant your best friend felt the same way the whole time. Three, meant that they longed for you the way you dreaded for them every second of every day. Three, meant that they were trapped _too._ And they didn't know what to do. So they did what they could. 

And despite them ever feeling the same, they might be too scared to make the leap. Because it kinda _is_ a big deal. 

And you'd both fall away, with every silent tear, and chest quenching pain. Watching the other _pretend_ that they were happy. Without you. 

You tell yourself you'd rather _die,_ than live, watching the thing you love most lose themselves because of you. 

___________________________

Henry had been sitting in the kitchen for the last 15 minutes, waiting on his mother to come down. By now she would have already had a plate of breakfast made for Henry, but she hadn't shown herself yet this morning. Saturdays were Henry's favorite days, because Regina would make him a plate of apple waffles, and then send him off to the station with a container for Emma, since Saturdays were very busy days for the sheriff. Any citizens of storybrooke that a had a complaint during the week, and or any idea for the town hall to take into consideration, would all end up on paper at Emma's desk by the end of the week. Certain ones would get signed, and then placed in a pile for Regina, and others would get handled by Emma. 

Henry sighed, dropping off of the island stool, deciding to make his way upstairs and into his moms bedroom. As he rounded his way upstairs, he paused when he saw his mom leave her room, still clad in her silk pajamas and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Henry loved seeing his mom like this, because her aura felt exceptionally human, as it was one of the only times Regina allowed herself to appear flawed. But, while this sounds like anyone else's normal morning, it was completely unnatural for Regina to wake up so late, or even walk out of her bedroom in such a state of undress.

"Mom?" Henry questioned, causing Regina to pause in her tracks, looking like a dear caught in headlights. 

After a second of silence, Henry slowly took a couple of steps towards her, as she still looked startled. 

"Are you okay?" He watched as her face morphed slowly into a happy smile, as she shuffled closer to give him a hug.

Henry, obviously taken back by the sudden affection, stiffened for a couple of seconds before giggling. 

"You're kinda scaring me" He giggled, but hugged her back. "I like it, though" He sighed. 

"Good" She hugged him tighter. 

The two released each other, Henry taking a couple steps backwards. "I don't mean to ruin the moment, but it's waffle day" He grinned mischievously.

"Well, lets go make some waffles" Regina made her move for the stairs. 

"You're wearing that?" Henry looked surprised, following behind her. 

Regina stayed silent, still making her descent from the stairs and into her kitchen. Sighing, she answered. "I just needed a rest, today". 

Henry knew something was bothering his mom. In fact, he had noticed that the night before when Regina had kicked off her heels in the foyer, leaving them, and making her way straight to bed. Regina was every bit the Queen she made herself out to be. She wasn't someone to leave a pair of shoes out where someone could easily trip over them, and she never, ever, went to bed without saying goodnight to Henry, whether it was late or not. But last night she broke some rules, rules that have never _not_ applied. 

He sighed. "You sure you're okay, mom?" 

Regina looked at him, giving a small and sad smile, as she sat the ingredients out on the counter. "Yes, my love."

He grinned, knowing she wouldn't give in that easily. "Well, don't forget, Emma is relying on some waffles today." He slickly added.

Regina, completely forgetting Emma had grown used to receiving them now, mumbled a couple of words under her breath, whisking the batter 5x quicker than before. 

"Send her a message for me, and let her know I'll bring them by when I've got some made." She spoke as her hands kept busy.

"Okay" He nodded his head, running upstairs for his cell phone. 

Reaching his bedroom, he moved his hands frantically around his bed, silently shouting victory as he found his phone.

As he Grinned to himself, sitting on the edge of his bed, he finally made a decision that he had been contemplating for the past week or more.

_Time for operation swanqueen to begin._

__**__**__**__

The sun shone through the windows in the sheriffs station, illuminating dust that floated through the air, causing Emma to become entranced in the little orbs when she looked up from her paperwork. Emma signed her signature on 3 pieces of paper in a blase manner, sliding them to her right, to the pile for Regina. To her left, was a tower of phone numbers followed up by paragraphs from people who had made a complaint during the week. Eyeing the monstrosity, Emma wondered how so many people in storybrooke were capable of finding issues with the way things were handled around town. They lived in a fairy tale, for heavens sake. Minus the occasional ice monster, of course. 

Already aggravated, Emma knew it wasn't going to be a great day. She had always been capable of determining how her mood would often play out, as soon as her eyes adjusted to the world. She hadn't gotten a great nights sleep, per usual, so that was a part of it.

But she also found herself in a bad mood, because her son had yet to walk through the door with waffles. It was waffle Saturday. 

And no, she wasn't necessarily upset that her stomach wasn't getting fed. But she _was_ upset, because she suspects Regina may have gone home with Robin, therefore she hasn't woken up yet to _make_ the waffles.

So, Emma told herself she wasn't that hungry in the first place.

Her stomach laughed at her, as if on cue, letting our a loud and dramatic cry for food. 

"Shut up" Emma looked down at her stomach, rubbing it clockwise. "You don't need food right now".

Regina stood in the doorway, stifling a laugh, at Emma's childlike actions. "Is that so? Because I brought your favorite delicacy."

Emma snapped her head up, blushing that she had been caught talking to her stomach. Closing her eyes, she spoke to both Regina and herself. "I can't believe you just watched me talk to my stomach." She leaned her head back, refusing to make eye contact.

With a vexatious grin, Regina walked towards Emma's desk, sitting down a container of waffles and a plastic fork in front of her.

Emma wanted nothing more than to avoid the question that was picking at her mind, which was whether or not Regina enjoyed her date with Robin. But she felt as though she had every right to know, because she practically set it up herself to then shove Robin in the middle of it. So, she decided to ask, hoping Regina wouldn't feel like the question was in any way intrusive.

"So-" Emma watched Regina sit down elegantly, and cross her legs. "How was your date?" she then gave a little too much attention to the Tupperware in front of her.

Regina's eyes sought out Emma's, as the knowledge that Emma did the majority of the work last night floated behind her Irises. "It was wonderful" She spoke softly, and smiled.

Emma's chest sunk, as she imagined Regina and Robin laughing together, enjoying their date. 

_Well, you make sacrifices. Especially for people you care that deeply for._

Regina cleared her throat, having had enough of beating around the bush. "You didn't tell me you could cook". She looked at Emma, her face expressionless. 

Emma gasped, forgetting she had a mouth full of waffle, causing her to choke. She held up a finger, signaling to Regina that she needed a second, as she hid her face in her hands, holding back coughs. 

Regina slyly grinned, watching with amusement, as Emma slowly gathered herself.

"What do you mean?" She looked from the waffles and to Regina a couple of times, before continuing to cut them with her plastic fork, and struggling to do so. 

"Oh, don't play coy with me, Emma." Regina placed her hands on the arms of the chair she was sitting in, uncrossing her legs. 

"Coy? pft" Emma tried a little too hard. "Who is playing coy?"

Regina paused, as she watched the blonde chew with far too much food in her mouth, piercing eyes staring back at her in fake bemusement. 

The fact that Emma was willing to let Robin take the praise of setting up such a beautiful date, made Regina's throat tighten and heart flutter. She had this overwhelming urge to do something, and she figured if she ever was going to, now would be the only appropriate time. 

So, Regina stood slowly from her chair, making her way to round Emma's desk. 

Emma spoke with a mouth full of waffle, swiveling her chair in the other woman's direction. "What?"

"Stand up" Regina paused at the edge of the desk, waiting patiently for Emma to move.

Emma looked to the waffle container, and back to Regina in confusion, slowly standing and swallowing to last of her food. 

She stood frozen, her eyes watching in both horror and question, as Regina slowly took a couple of steps into Emma's personal space. 

Regina's glanced back and forth from Emma's, her brain suddenly foggy at the lack of distance between them. 

Emma watched, searching for non-existent saliva, to wet her now dry throat. 

"Can I hug you?" Regina spoke softly and slowly, eyes showing fear of judgement, and vulnerability. 

Emma deflated, relaxing half way, before moving into Regina's arms with a content smile. Wrapping her arms around Regina's midsection, pulling her into her tightly. _Maybe a little too tightly._

When Regina sighed, melting into Emma...well...the blonde didn't want to let go. 

It was their _first_ hug, and she _never_ wanted to let go. 

Emma made it a mission to remember the way Regina felt against her. Words such as _home_ and _warmth,_ echoed in her heart, as she placed her chin against Regina's ear. 

One of the foster family's Emma happened to be a part of for a short period of time, always came to mind when she gave hugs. Ingrid, her foster Mother at the time, had taught Emma the power of hugs. _They speak to people in a way that words never will. But most importantly, they speak to you in a way no one else will. In a way YOU never will. So remember the feeling of hugs. They always speak the truth. Whether it is about someone else, or about you._

Emma listened to the way this hug was speaking to her. It spoke great intimacy and growth between two people, who felt deeply for one another. It was a feeling of present devotion, knowing someone wouldn't be making their way to the exit anytime soon. And it spoke fondness and tenderness for another person.

But above all else, it spoke _love._

Emma slowly retracted her arms, then her head, eyes intent on finding Regina's.

Emma always did unexpected things when she was feeling any type of overwhelming emotion, so naturally, she dorked it out. 

"Hey Bestie" Emma giggled, watching Regina roll her eyes playfully, as she backed up a couple of steps and out of Emma's personal space.

Regina, who enjoyed the hug far more than she should have, felt the need to explain herself. "I just-" She dropped her head an inch "Wanted to show my thanks"

Emma, completely oblivious to the fact that Regina had figured everything out, stood her ground strong. "What for?" She tilted her head in made up question.

As Regina began making her way out of the office, she held eye contact with Emma. "For the Date" She paused, smiling at Emma knowingly.

And, perfect time as always, Mulan walked in. "Emma took you on a date?" She looked quizzically between the two of them. 

"Ah- uh-" Emma looked at Regina for some help, having never been so great with words.

"Emma set up a date for me" Regina looked at Mulan, before closing her eyes and shaking her head, flustered at the confusion she was creating "For Robin." She sighed, "For me, and Robin". She pushed hair behind her ear, hiding her blush. 

Mulan looked at Regina, then Emma. "So, she set up a date for you and Robin?" She lightly laughed, looking at Regina, who nodded her head. "Why didn't Robin?" She sat down her things, oblivious to the blushing that was taking place between the two women. "That's basically going on a date with Emma, Minus Emma being there". She spun around, pausing as Regina shoved her hands into her coat pockets. 

"Robin did just fine" She looked at Mulan, and then at Emma, who was turning shades of red. "I'll be leaving now". Regina took two steps forward "Oh, and I'll be needing my paperwork before our next town hall meeting, Miss Swan. Do have that ready in time." 

"Will do" Emma smiled apologetically at Regina, watching her leave. 

Mulan turned to Emma, grinning with amusement, making Emma snap. "What?".

"You've got it bad" Mulan laughed, turning her attention back to the printer she was still figuring out. 

_I do have it bad,_ Emma thinks.

__**__**__**__

Henry shoved the door to granny's diner open, marching his way in with a soft smile on his face. 

"Hey, Henry!" Red leaned across the counter, smiling at him. "Hot cocoa?" She winked. 

"Yep, and then, we are gonna discuss Swanqueen" He jumped up onto the stool, throwing the story book onto the counter. 

"Swan what?" Red squinted her eyebrows, as Henry opened the book that was covered in sticky notes from top to bottom on the inside pages. 

"Swan Queen- it's the operation name for my parents" He smirked knowingly at Red, as he began pointing at each and every note. "I've started keeping track of things, like when they look at each other for more than 2 seconds, or how they sometimes say these things, and then get super quiet. Just when they are being unintentionally weird and in love." He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Red's jaw dropped in amusement, at the determination the boy carried. "Wow, Henry, that's-" She blew out a low whistle "That's really something" She observed the pages.

"And this page, is a collection of what I like to call AMOT" He pointed at an array of sticky notes, lined with things such as 'one time mom gagged when hook kissed her cheek', and so forth so on. 

"What is AMOT?" Red grabbed the book, turning it around so she could read it.

"Awkward Moments Of Tension" He grinned, proud of himself.

Red raised her eyebrows, showing how impressed she was with the Idea of bringing his Moms together. "You really think they want to be together?" she pushed the book back towards him. 

"Yep" He began moving his eyebrows up and down the book, scratching his ear in concentration. "But first, I have to break up Mom and Hook."

__**__**__**__

"You're in love with her" Mulan looked at Emma, who was sitting sideways in her chair tossing a tennis ball to the ceiling, letting it bounce and make it's way down, before catching it and repeating. 

They had been discussing Emma's boring love life, Mulan trying to attempt Emma to let the pirate go for her own happiness, when Emma asked _why?_ So Mulan answered. And it lead to this.

"No, I'm not" She argued. 

She had been consistent in her attempt at making Emma believe she was in love with Regina, Emma still in denial and at this point finding the confrontation funny. But anyone with eyes, ears, a brain and a nose, could tell that _both_ women were in love with each other. Mulan was gonna fix it.

"You are, Emma." She laughed. 

Emma tossed the ball in Mulan's direction, who caught it, and paused to look at Emma. "Listen, You were the first person to point out what was going on between Aurora and me" She shrugged he shoulders. "Let me do the same for you."

Emma sighed. "I guess I-" she grunted as she caught the ball Mulan tossed to her. "I wouldn't go as far to say I'm in love with her, but-"

"Don't even lie to me, Emma. I was in denial for a year, telling myself I couldn't be in love with someone that didn't even reciprocate the love, much less crush." She caught the ball from Emma. "And really, a lot of that had to do with the image it cast. I'd be a fool to fall in love with someone that hardly acknowledged my existence." She leaned forward, looking into Emma's eyes. "But it happened."

"That's very presumptuous, though. Assuming I'm in love." Emma sat upright in her chair, finally. 

"I'm not assuming, because it's a fact." Mulan giggled.

"No, you're assuming that it's a fact." Emma replied smugly.

"Fact"

"No"

"Yes"

"No, Mulan"

"Yes, Emma"

"OK, fine" Emma threw her hands in the air, admitting defeat. 

"ye-" Mulan abruptly sat up, looking at Emma with excitement. "YOU DID IT!"

Emma shook her head in wonder. "I guess I- I guess I did." She sighed, then dropped her head to her desk dramatically. "Which leaves me no where, thanks".

Mulan got up from her chair, walking around towards Emma, touching her shoulder in a comforting way. "No, it tells you exactly what you need to do" she looked at Emma, Who fluttered her eye lashes up towards Mulan. 

"And what do I need to do?" She asked. 

Mulan pondered jokingly for a moment, pretending that she was searching for an answer, before finally smiling and speaking "Make a decision".

Emma stood up from her chair, placing her hands on her hips, "Now that- leaves me no where".

"It'll come to you" Mulan spoke, just before the phone began to ring, leaving Emma with a pat to the shoulder. 

Emma was in _love._

She was in love with _Regina._

And suddenly, she just wanted to cry. 

_Unrequited love, being the one big reason._

___**__**__**___

"Get off of me" Emma shoved a day drunk hook off of her, outside of the town hall. 

She had been in a hurry to bring Regina her paperwork, knowing Regina didn't like to have any work left when she was free to leave her office, when she got stopped outside of the entrance to town hall by said person. 

"Come on, love" He sighed, falling into her. "You've been so distant lately, show your pirate some love" He puckered his lips, searching for Emma's own.

"Okay- that's enough, Killian." She shoved him with her body weight, still holding the monstrosity of papers. 

He looked thoroughly offended, his soft and ridiculous drunken expression morphing into one of disgust. "No, I don't think it is, love".

He reached around Emma, his movements fluid yet rough, while searching to grab her anywhere he could reach. Once Emma came to her senses, she abruptly dropped the papers, shoving him backwards just far enough to swing at him with a right hook.

The sound of Hooks grunting and Emma's panting filled the atmosphere, before she slowly made her move to gather the tangled papers. Standing with them in hand, albeit messily, she gave hook one last glance. She was plenty fed up with him and his drunken, smelly existence. And she was sick of being treated like some handmaiden. Emma had been contemplating sparing him the heart ache she knew he would harbor when she broke it off with him, but after tonight, she decided she had enough. 

Angrily huffing she scolded "Come find me when you're sober.", Then shoved the doors open with the side of her forearm. 

She had every intention on breaking up with him, but she had to think through the process. And after witnessing his sudden and drunken outburst, she decided it be safest to do it in a more public space.

Marching angrily up the stairs, she winced at the sudden ache in her right hand, deciding to ignore it as she rounded the corner to knock on Regina's office door with her foot.

"It's unlocked" She registered Regina's professional and Mayoral voice through the door, before sighing, finally giving into the ache of holding the papers for so long.

"Regina, my hands are kinda full" Emma strained to speak, the weight of the papers becoming heavier with every second. 

It was a large stack, okay?

She listened as heels on tile floor made their way in her direction, coming to a halt at the office door.

Swinging it open, Regina flashed an apologetic smile, "Just leave them on the desk". 

Emma marched in, Regina quickly making her way out around her to move items that were in the way of paperwork on her normally spotless desk. "It's been a hectic Saturday, I apologize."she huffed, Shoving papers into a file folder. Regina then sat in her chair as Emma carefully placed the papers onto the mahogany desk, wincing as the weight of the stack pinched her hand. 

She paused, positive in her assumption that Regina had noticed her hand that now carried an uneven shake.

Releasing a soft gasp and leaning forward in her chair, Regina reached for Emma's right hand. "Em-ma", she spoke softly, looking up at Emma with question.

Sighing, Emma allowed her to inspect the injured hand. "He practically begged for it".

"Who?" Regina looked at Emma, lightly caressing her thumb over her bruised knuckles. 

"Killian" Emma looked down at her hand with shame, then back at Regina.

She noticed that as soon as she spoke Hooks name, Regina's nostrils flared in the slightest, her eyes flashing both worry and anger.

"When?" Regina swallowed, her voice stern.

"Just a minute ago, outside the building" Emma watched Regina's thumb that was still softly stroking her knuckles, looking back up to Regina when the thumb stilled. "It's fine, I'll put some ice on it." She slowly pulled it back, almost regretting it as she missed the warmth of the contact. 

"Right" Regina cleared her throat. 

"Yeah" Emma sighed, her eyes beginning to trace small details of the desk, as the silence grew. 

They both shared one last look, before Regina smiled at Emma. "Thank you for bringing the papers to me".

Almost whispering, Emma lifted one side of her mouth and replied, "Not a problem".

Sniffing, Regina separated the stacks of paper into three different piles, casting the occasional glance to Emma who had slowly begun to leave. 

"Emma?" She caught her attention.

"hm?" Emma turned, looking at Regina over her shoulder. 

Regina stood from her seating, making her way out around her desk and towards Emma. 

With every step she took, Emma's breath quickened, the realization she had made with Mulan's help, echoing in the walls of her heart. 

_You're in love with her._

Regina placed her hand on the blondes bicep, looking at it, and then Emma.

"You always deserved better than him" She gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes, slowly dropping her hand that caressed as it made it's descent. 

They shared intense eye contact, that even _they_ knew wasn't platonic. 

"Thank you" Emma squinted her eyes, giving a loving smile. 

There were no words Regina could think of that might exist in the human dictionary, that described the emotion she was feeling. The painful yet so addictive _squeeze_ on her heart. Pain _and_ love. 

"Always" Regina sternly nodded her head, watching as Emma slowly turned to make her leave. 

Regina stood frozen in the same spot, listening as Emma's boots smacked the stairs, and soon after the door to the building that automatically slammed shut.

"What are best friends for?" She whispered to no one.

__**__**__**__

The sun was just beginning to fall, when Henry Mills marched into his house with a cheeky grin plastered on his face, devoted to sharing the idea of his art project with his mother.

As he shrugged off his coat and kicked off his shoes, he stood still listening for any movement that might be apparent. Regina was normally by this time of day making a racket in the kitchen, focused on whatever chef's delicacy she was making that evening for supper. But the house was silent, as if there was no one home at all, which he knew wasn't the case because her car was parked outside the mansion. 

"Mom?!" He called through the house. 

After a couple more calls, having still heard nothing, he ran up the stairs towards Regina's bedroom. 

He silently crept up the hall, pausing outside of Regina's bedroom door that was cracked open. He moved to rest his ear as close as possible to the open space, focusing on any sound he could register. 

He heard sniffing. 

Standing upright in disbelief, he toyed with his bottom lip unsure as of what to do. 

His mother didn't often cry in front of him. Sure, she allowed him to witness the crystals forming in her eyes, and the pain that she would sometimes allow to etch across her face. But she had never really _cried_ in front of Henry.

Deciding to do what his heart told him to, he slowly pushed the door open, peeking his head in before doing so. 

"Mom?" He paused when the sniffing abruptly stopped, and a puffy eyed Regina sat up in her bed, still dressed head to toe in her pantsuit. 

"Henry?" She spoke through swollen sinus's and a snotty nose, sniffing. 

"What-" He moved closer. "What happened?"

His question only seemed to make her begin crying more, as she wrapped her arms around herself, shaking silently. 

He slowly crawled into the bed with her, moving to sit cross legged.

"Mom, you-" He swallowed. "You can tell me" He placed his hand on hers, squeezing.

She held her breath in an attempt to silent her cry's, an occasional whimper leaving her body.

"Henry" She cried, her bloodshot eyes making contact with his. 

She took a breath so deep her chest expanded, then licking her dry lips, and exhaling shakily. 

The two stayed silent for what seemed like 5 long minutes, until Regina broke the silence.

"I'm in love with your Mother", She whispered.

Henry already knew this, or at least he suspected it. But hearing it come from Regina, as she cried her eyes out, he couldn't find it in himself to smile. 

"Oh" He sighed.

She looked at him, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. 

"Well..." He glanced around the room, searching for something to say. "Did you break up with Robin?" He looked back into her eyes. 

She stilled, completely frozen and rigid. Looking at Henry, a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

"I can't" She whimpered again, moving to lay on her side.

Henry moved with her, holding both of her hands in his. 

He knows. 

_She can't._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave feedback, or suggestions for the story line. Thanks for your love and support. <3


	6. Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina swallowed the last of her glass, moving her legs off of the couch with effort. She grabbed her phone off of the coffee table in front of her, opening it, pulling up the contact, then looking back at the photo in her hand.
> 
> Just do it.
> 
> And she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today was incredibly busy! It is currently 12:12 AM here, and I am just finishing this! I promise the chapters will begin to get lengthier. I'm just searching for the time to do so. I might start uploading chapters every other day, but I think for now I will be okay. Sorry for the angst! Much love.  
> ENJOY!

Emma sat in a booth at Granny's, Grimacing while holding a babbling and spit-infested baby Neal in her lap as he played with strands of her hair.

David had told Emma he would take the afternoon shift as long as Neal had someone to look after him, because Snow was spending the day with the Nuns, helping them sell girl scout cookies. She snorted at that, receiving and eye roll from her father.

_Snow and the Nuns... kinda predictable._

When Regina had sent Henry and her away to New York, In a way she had educated Emma on babies. She had a new found respect for mothers like Regina. The ones who actually _raised_ their children. It was just as hard, if not harder, than childbirth itself. But Emma still did her best to avoid the drool that leaked from his mouth and snot that he blew from his nose every time he laughed. 

And what makes it even harder for Emma, is the fact that Neal could be _her_ kid. But no, he is her full baby brother. And her parents are like, _her age._ So it wasn't exactly an easy task, looking into the eyes of this little human. Who she was so incredibly _envious_ of. 

He was going to grow up with the perfect Family. The kind from fairy tales. _Literally._ His parents were Snow White and Prince Charming. 

Emma would have given just about anything to have a family that wanted her to begin with. The only person that wanted Emma growing up, was her social worker. And that's because they made extra money with Emma, due to the fact that she was constantly running away and to new homes. 

So, here she sat, envious of her baby brother who was a toddler for heavens sake. 

Staring at him deep in thought, a voice from behind startled Emma. 

"You didn't pick up much from the fake memories, I gather?" It was Regina, who was inspecting the two of them.

When she had entered the diner, her breath had vanished from her throat once she caught sight of Emma and Neal. She had realized she was in love with the blonde the night before, and on top of that, she had told their _son._ Who did seem to handle it surprisingly well. But if looking at the blonde caused her breath to hitch before her late realization, then it just got vacuumed straight from her lungs this time around. 

Emma looked up at a wind blown Regina and smiled sarcastically. "I gathered plenty, thank you. I just don't exactly enjoy every minute of torture he inflicts on me" She turned him around in her lap, so he could face Regina. 

She slid into the booth across from Emma, holding her head relatively high in order to pursue the expectations those around her had set, no one knowing that she spent the night crying into her sons arms over a woman. Who now happened to be sitting across from her.

"Not much of a masochist then, Dear?" Regina watched as the blondes face turned into one of decision.

"Not in scenarios like this, No." Emma grinned as she watched the rising blush in Regina's cheeks. 

The air grew silent apart from Neal, who was speaking in tongue dramatically as though he was president of the united states having what seemed to be a very important discussion with no one in particular. 

"Henry wasn't this talkative as a baby" Regina looked at Emma, who tilted her head in question. 

"Really?" She bounced Neal up and down on her knee. "He babbled a lot with me." She looked up from her little brother and to Regina. "In the fake memories, I mean."

"Yes, well, I had to make the experience a bit more enjoyable for the both of you." Regina pushed her hair back, oblivious to the strands that made their way back down soon after. 

Emma smiled with soft appreciation, tempted to reach across the table and grab the other woman's hand, if it weren't for Neal who occupied them.

"How is your hand?" Regina glanced towards it, observing the purple bruises that adorned every other knuckle. 

"Much better" Emma sighed thankfully "I just used that spell you taught me to numb pain. The Advil wasn't strong enough" She laughed lightly. 

Regina plastered a proud smile on her lips. "I'm surprised you remembered it."

Emma huffed playfully, "You should give me more credit, Regina."

Regina sighed, fiddling with the unopened straw that sat in the middle of the table. "I do."

The two of them sniffed, Emma brushing her hands through a giggling Neal's hair, as Regina watched her closely. Unbeknownst to the two of them, was Henry and Red peeking around the corner of the diner, near the jukebox. 

"They are so in love." Red brought her head back around to face Henry, who was grinning proudly.

"I know." He then took his own turn, peeking his head around the corner to watch his Mom's, who were being oblivious and idiotic fools. 

He continued to watch, noting how every time Emma's eyes met Regina's, she would stop bouncing Neal, and Regina would place more hair behind her ear.

He muttered under his breath, "Fools" Before turning back to look at Red.

"I heard that" She tilted her head at Henry. "But I agree." 

The two grinned, deciding to pursue this operation. It was a go.

First step: _Remove the beards._

__**__**__**__

It was now roughly an hour later, as Henry stood in the alley way beside granny's diner gripping his walkie talkie. 

Static sounded from the speaker, as Red began to speak from inside of the diner. "Are you sure this is gonna work?" She asked, not completely confident in the plan.

"Yes, now get ready, he's walking this way." He loudly whispered as he watched Hook make his way up the diner steps.

Red sat her walkie talkie down, casually walking out from behind granny's counter, with a milkshake in hand. She paused, waiting on Leroy to make his way past her, as she spotted Hook coming through the door. 

Plastering on her most beautiful smile, she walked in his direction, milkshake in hand. "Hook!" She acted pleased to see him.

With a puzzled facial expression, and his hook raised in the air towards Emma, he sighed. "What is it?"

She faked a pout. "Could you maybe run this to Emma? I'm super busy, and I know you're headed in that direction." She batted her eyelashes. 

"Sure" He tensed his jaw, gripping the milkshake, begrudgingly making his way towards Emma. 

Red took a deep breath, watching out for the next step in their plan to unravel. And right on time, She watched as Henry came in through the back door, pretending to slip on the floor that Red placed a Wet floor sign on, falling into an aggravated Hook.

Henry grunted, the impact knocking some air out of his lungs, as he then quickly turned his head to watch the look on his mothers face as the cold ice cream fell down and into her top, also causing Neal to go absolutely crazy and turning red faced.

Regina watched the situation unravel, but her main concern was Henry, causing her to remove herself from the booth and kneel beside him on the tile floor. 

Mother and Son looked up at an enraged Emma, who stood up from the booth holding a screaming Neal out and away from her body as ice cream dripped from his pelvic area and down onto the floor. 

"You have gotten to be kidding me!" Emma gasped, looking at Hook who appeared to be lost in the whole entire crisis.

"Swan I-" He made an attempt at an apology, before Emma cut him off after having sat Neal in his high chair.

"No, I don't want to hear it. You wanted to make a scene? Well let's make one." She squared herself, huffing air out of her nostrils as she crossed her arms. "What's the damn problem, hook?" She stepped up and into his personal space, as he began to tuck his non-existent tail between his legs. "Did you really think that pouring a _milkshake_ down my shirt, was a decent way at getting back at me for last night?" She accidentally spat in his face through her gritted teeth, a crowd now forming around them, Henry and Regina still crouched on the floor.

Completely puzzled by Emma's latest statement, Henry leaned back to look at a confused Red, who was already making eye contact with him. _What happened last night?_

"It was never my intention to pour a milkshake down your shirt, Emma!" He narrowed his eyes, in attempt to stand up for himself.

"It was never your intention?" She threw her hands in the air exasperated, as she moved to point her finger in his face, all the while Neal screaming in the background. "And don't you _dare_ blame this on my son." She lowered her voice an octave, only sounding more intimidating. "You had this coming, Hook. For a while now." She crossed her arms again, taking a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his. 

"It's over." She bit her jaw down tightly, watching as he began to babble his apologies, moving towards her at too quick of a rate, before an arm across his chest stopped him. 

"Get out" It was Regina, who was now standing at Emma's side, just as annoyed with the situation as the blonde. 

Hook looked from Emma to Regina, narrowing his eyes and biting out "Or what, your majesty? You'll torch me with one of your fireballs?" He Looked back towards Emma, his eyes softening. 

"I'll turn you into a crocodile." Regina answered, moving to stand in Emma's place as the other mother moved to grab the screaming baby. "Now I suggest you leave, before I honor my word, and turn you into a new belt." She spoke with Evil Queen fashion. 

The two once villains held their intense eye contact, before he put both his hook and hand in the air, admitting defeat. "You won't see me again."

As the door to Granny's slammed shut, Emma holding Neal to her sticky chest and Regina placing a protective hand on Henry, The crowd slowly turned back to normal.

"Are you alright?" Regina looked at Emma softly, taking few steps closer. 

Emma looked as though tears would spill from her eyes any second now, but as she regained her senses, she slowly came back to the typical aggravated Emma Swan. 

"What do you expect?" She looked down towards the mess on her chest, as she moved Neal to her hip. 

Emma had unintentionally bit the comment towards Regina, who's eyes were slowly recoiling and littered themselves with apologies. 

"Sorry, I just-" Emma looked at Regina. "It's not your fault, Regina. I'm just-" She sighed, giving up on her search for words, as she moved to grab Neal's diaper bag. 

Regina nodded her head sadly, with understanding. "That's alright."

Emma grimaced at the stickiness that now reached from her neck to her lower abdomen, as she threw the bag over her opposite shoulder. "I need to get us cleaned up, now." 

Regina nodded her head, speaking before considering the offer that left her mouth. "You can use my place, if you'd like?" She furrowed her eyebrows in question at Emma, who was preparing to make her leave. 

She held her breath, expecting Emma to deny her of the offer, but instead the blonde gave a thankful smile. "That would be perfect" She softly sighed, beginning to walk to the exit. 

"Miss Swan?" Emma froze at the use of the old nickname, turning to look at Regina quizzically. "Yeah?" She huffed in slight annoyance, more at the situation than at Regina.

"Use your magic" Regina raised her eyebrows, knowing Emma had forgotten it even existed. 

With a sigh, Emma closed her eyes and Imagined Regina's foyer, catching a slow wave of nausea that washed through her as she teleport-ed herself. Following behind, Regina's signature purple smoke filled the diner, mixing with Emma's cloudy white, forming a lilac color. 

The chatter in the diner finally turned to normal, as Red made her way to clean up sticky milkshake from the booth. 

Walking up beside her was Henry, who scratched the back of his head, gaining the attention of the bent over waitress. 

"That was a disaster." She huffed, standing upright and crossing her arms. 

He sighed, nodding his head in agreement.

"But it worked." He spoke as if posing a question. 

She looked up at the diner, waving her hand at a guest that was searching for her attention, before turning back towards Henry.

"It did" She gave a lopsided grin, before moving around him, back into waitress mode.

_Part one of operation Swan Queen was a success... kinda._

__**__**__**__

When Emma, Regina and Neal had arrived at the mansion, Regina had swooped up Neal, offering to bath him in her kitchen sink. After convincing Emma that she didn't mind, she sent her to the master bathroom, explaining to her where towels were, then proceeding to the kitchen with Neal and his diaper bag.

So, here they were, the baby in a sink full of lukewarm soapy water, and Regina who's nose was covered in bubbles, laughing and giggling with one another. 

She reached for a clean cup that sat on her dish rack, before dipping it in the water to pour over his head, lightly laughing as he grimaced at the feeling. 

Regina had been trying to occupy her hands enough, so that maybe her mind would give her a break as well. 

She knew Emma leaving Hook was bound to happen, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon, or for Emma to do it in front of her. _Not that it mattered,_ she told herself. It couldn't matter, because Regina was led to be with her soulmate, Robin Hood. At this point, she's cursing the pixie dust, and the fairy that came with it. Because she lived every day avoiding him, dreading not only his presence, but her _own_ existence. It felt as though her happy ending was purposely set out to be an _UN-happy_ ending. She supposes that's what she gets for destroying the amount of countless lives that she did. And she couldn't stop the soft and sad laugh that left her breath, due to the irony behind the situation. What _Evil Queen_ ever gets what _she_ wants? Much less someone as perfect as Emma. _A hero._

She scoffed. How Emma made it so long believing in Regina...well, she'll never understand. People no longer cowered down at her presence, sure. But she was always will be the same Regina that murdered and ruined countless lives. And the fact that Emma see's through that? Well, that's one of the reasons Regina fell in love with her in the first place.

Regina's face grew increasingly depressed, as she ran her hands over Neal's head of hair. 

"Don't give me that look." She looked the baby in the eyes, who was staring directly back at her, with what appeared to be a raised eyebrow. 

"You wouldn't understand." She pointed out to him, as she rubbed his calves that were below the surface of water. "You're too young."

Growing tired of the growing silence, Regina sighed. "Alright, alright. Since you've clearly been asking." She looked at Neal, as a small smile grew on her face at the image of him playing with her fingers. 

"I'm in love with your big sister." Regina bent over, resting her head in her opposite and unoccupied hand. "But she doesn't love me back." She spoke blatantly.

"And I also-" She stood up again. "Am destined to be with someone else, anyways."

She reached into the water, searching for the drain, finding it and pulling. 

"That's what this Evil Queen deserves, isn't it?" She helped him stand unbalanced on his two feet, as she reached with her free hand for a dish towel, to dry him off. 

"She deserves torture." She sadly whispered to no one but herself, in that moment. "Well, to whomever is listening-" She closed her eyes briefly, as she spoke. "I am dealing with something that feels far beyond Emotional torture." She lifted Neal up and into her arms, turning around to lay him down on the spread out baby blanket she had sat on her island counter. She leaned over, grabbing his hand, coming eye to eye with his little face, as she guided it to her heart. "It physically hurts, too. Right here." She punctuated by shaking it in place, him giggling at the action. 

Regina smiled, reaching for his change of clothes, cooing at him and his baby laughter, when Emma walked in. 

Neal, who noticed her first, turned his head, beginning to violently shake his hands in excitement.

Regina turned her head towards Emma, pulling Neal up and balancing him on his feet, her hands supporting him by the bottom and chest.

"Someone want's their big sister" Regina passed him to Emma, who sighed happily, holding him at eye to eye level. 

"Were you a good boy?" She asked, then looking to Regina for an answer. 

"He was perfect" She grinned at the woman, who's hair was nearing waist length as it was wet. 

Emma noticed Regina eye what she assumed was her clothing choice, so she spoke up. 

"Oh-" She surveyed the blouse, looking back to Regina. "I hope you don't mind, I borrowed the same blouse again. It was already hanging on the bathroom door." She looked Regina in the eyes, searching for approval. 

"That's fine, you practically left your mark on it the first time you wore it, anyways." Regina laughed lightly, turning to make a glass of water, before looking at Emma. "Would you like anything?" She held up the glass. 

"Oh, no thanks. I've gotta get him back to David anyways." Emma held Neal on her hip, as she gathered a few stray items that belonged in his diaper bag.

Regina hid her disappointment at the fact that Emma would be leaving, as she took a few gulps of water.

Emma turned and placed Neal in his portable car seat, then turning back to Regina. 

"Thank you" She smiled, leaning against the island, a babbling Neal in the background. 

Regina leaned against the same counter, facing Emma, as she smiled. "You're always welcome here, Emma." 

The two shared a soft smile, before Emma moved closer to Regina, swooping her up into another hug.

And again, it was as wonderful, if not more so, than the first. 

_Leaving them both wanting more._

Regina sighed at the lack of contact as Emma pulled away, moving to grab Neal's things. 

"I'll see you tomorrow at the council meeting." Regina nodded her head. 

"I'll be there" Emma grinned, tilting her head in the direction of her exit. "See ya', Regina." 

Regina waited until the door was closed, before she deflated and moved for a glass of wine. 

_Damn you, Emma Swan._

_Damn you for making me feel this way._

_And Damn you for making me fall in love with you._

Regina knows it would have happened no matter what. It just felt too inevitable to have _not._

__**__**__**__

"And then he dumped a milkshake down my top, getting Neal all sticky in the process, so we both went to Regina's to get cleaned up." Emma handed David all of her things outside of the station. He was off for the rest of the day, Leaving Mulan to work by herself.

When she had arrived, David noticed the change in Neal's clothing almost immediately, leaving Emma to explain what happened at the diner with Hook. 

"Why Regina's?" David hugged a sleeping Neal to his body, as Emma moved around him to fix the car seat on the passenger side. 

"I don't know, she was just there." Emma grunted as she pulled the seat belt through the car seat. "And she offered."

"Okay" He sighed, walking around to buckle him in. Turning to Emma once he was finished, he gave her a quick side hug and a kiss to her forehead. 

"Thank you for watching him, sweetie." He smiled, then moved back around to the drivers side of the truck. 

She followed him around, stopping at the front left tire. "Yeah, it's no problem. Just give me more of a heads up next time, maybe?" She grinned at David, as he shut his truck door and spoke through his rolled down window. "I'll remember that".

Emma watched as he backed out of his parking space, as she turned towards the station.

Sighing, she pushed one of the two doors open, trudging to her office. 

"Oh, hey!" Mulan looked at Emma, from behind her desk.

Emma dropped her shoulders, groaning, "That's my seat." She looked at Mulan, who apologetically smiled and moved from the seat, and to the one on the opposite side. 

Before Emma dropped into her seat, she flipped her head over, gathering her hair into a messy bun, then stretching her back and sitting down. 

"Long day?" Mulan observed Emma.

"Terrible, apart from-" She sighed, looking at Mulan. 

"You can say it, Emma. I already know." Mulan teased, sending a wink Emma's direction as she joked with her. 

"Regina made me happy." Emma frowned, turning her attention to the desktop computer to her left. "Why do I have so many unopened Emails? I thought I was all caught up this Mo-" Mulan cut Emma off with a loud and obnoxious laugh. 

"Emma!" 

Sighing, she glanced at Mulan as she deleted spam mails. "What."

Mulan leaned back, propping her feet up on the edge of Emma's desk. "Tell her" She shrugged. 

"Tell her what?" Emma looked at Mulan. 

Mulan gaped at Emma, huffing before rolling her eyes.

"Emma, if you don't get off of your ass, and tell that woman you're in love with her, so help me-" She trailed off, watching Emma stare at her in horror. Mulan sighed, eyes sad for the blonde. "You can't keep doing this, Emma. You can't keep-" She waved her hands around in the air, to emphasize her point. "Pretending that she's just your friend. She feels something, too, Emma."

Emma held eye contact with Mulan for approximately 5 seconds, breaking it with a sigh, turning back to her computer. 

"Emma, please." Mulan begged. "You can't keep doing this to yourself." 

"Actually, I can." Emma looked at Mulan, raising her eyebrows in sarcasm. 

Emma stood up from her chair, turning to the printer that sit at her right, leaning against the grey shelf that stays beside it as she waited on the print. 

"But how? How can you go through that much pain when you love her!?" Mulan stood, walking to face Emma.

Emma snatched the paper from the printer tray, forcefully placing it on the desk before facing Mulan. "That's just it, Mulan. That's why." Emma rubbed her face, dropping her hands and slapping them onto her thighs. "I allow myself to suffer like this, because I love her. I love her so much, that I can't imagine a world without her in it. And if that means-" She huffed. "Pretending for the rest of my life, that I am happy with the way things are.." She trailed off, regaining her temper and looking down at her shoes. "Well, it all seems worth it."

__**__**__**__

Regina was only a _little_ buzzed from the wine she had been nursing since Emma's departure. Her cheeks held a rosy tint, as well as her lips, as she sat cross legged on the couch in the study, frightened for her future.

In her shaking hand, she held a page that belonged in Henry's storybook. It was an image of her and Robin, the night tinker bell had lead Regina to the tavern. 

Except something was different. 

What was once a photo of two lovers leaning in for a kiss of _true love,_ was now an image of a Robin Hood leaning in desperately searching for his lovers lost lips, as she was looking directly at the Regina that was _inspecting_ the photo. 

It had changed. 

Regina was slowly allowing her emotions to change fate. And while it was for the best, she couldn't let the reality sink in. 

To Regina, it looked like her happy ending _fading away._ Every thing she had done to change, _to be good_ , was floating away. What she thought was her only chance at _love_ was floating away, and out of reach. 

And for a second, Regina _hated_ her. She _hated_ the woman that had stolen her heart, _and_ her happy ending. Emma Swan had Regina wrapped around her everything. Emma held her heart, and while Regina would trust it with _no one else,_ her fate was to play out differently. 

_It's all a part of my suffering. Villains don't get happy endings, so I suppose a fake one is my punishment._

Regina swallowed the last of her glass, moving her legs off of the couch with effort. She grabbed her phone off of the coffee table in front of her, opening it, pulling up the contact, then looking back at the photo in her hand.

_Just do it._

And she did.

__**__**__**__

Emma cried. 

_She really cried._

Emma Swan wasn't a crier. She hated the way her lips would swell in the slightest, and her nose would turn red, as well as her cheeks. She hated the sound of her voice, after having _really_ sobbed. How it was so nasal, and hoarse. And she hated that once she let go, there was no stopping. 

But here she stands, in Mulan's company, as she allows her eyes to freely _leak,_ the majority of the tears only getting so far down Emma's face before she furiously wiped them away with the back of her hand. 

"You can do it, Emma." Mulan helped Emma save the tears, before reaching for the tissues to her left.

"God I- I can't go looking like this though." She sighed. 

Mulan raised her eyebrows in question. "But you're gonna go?" She looked intently into Emma's eyes.

As Emma wiped her face clean, turning to shrug on her jacket, she looked at Mulan with an off smile, pain hidden below the surface. "I guess I am?" she posed in question.

Mulan's chest deflated, as she released the tension inside and replaced it with happiness for Emma's decision. 

"Go clean up in the bathroom then go, I'll throw these snotty tissues away" She swatted at Emma's rear. "Go- GO!" She laughed, as did Emma.

__**__**__**__

Emma turned her bug onto Mifflin street, anxiously tapping her steering wheel in both nervousness and excitement. 

She deserved this. She deserved the freedom. And whether she gets the reaction she wants or not, she has told herself it will all be worth it. Because she can begin her chance at moving on. But _God_ she really hoped, _prayed_ , to whoever was listening, that Regina might feel the same. That she would feel the same.

She pulled to the side of the street outside of house 108, pulling down her visor to check for any misplaced mascara, before practically jumping out of her bug and down the pathway to the home entrance. 

Emma stood outside of Regina's door, pacing back and forth, huffing and puffing, in an attempt to push her courage to the surface. 

She had been in love with the woman for years. Only realizing it recently. She could probably go a few more years suffering on her own, keeping the knowledge to herself. But she was here, and she was gonna do it. 

Taking one final breath, Emma knocked on the door, placing a strand of hair that had fallen from her messy bun behind her ear. 

She plastered a smile on her face, heart in her throat, as the door slowly opened, the light emanating onto Emma's beautifully bloodshot eyes. 

"Emma?" It was Robin Hood, answering the door in his boxers and wife beater.

"Oh my god." Emma hadn't meant for the breathless expression to leave the confines of her brain, but it did. 

"Is everything alright? Are _you_ alright?" He looked at Emma, opening the door the rest of the way.

And like icing on the cake, _or a knife in the heart_ , Regina rounded the staircase in a black satin robe, not looking up on her way to the door or noticing Emma's presence as she was occupied in tying the knot correctly. 

Emma's eyes never strayed from Regina's. That was until Regina's eyes finally looked up, widening in shock.

"Emma?" She carefully placed her hand on Robin, pushing him to the side as she slid past him almost putting herself out of the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

She swallowed, her throat hitching, something that felt like a solid rock forming inside of it. "Nothing." Her voice cracked. "I don't even know why I'm here, to be honest." She laughed pitifully at herself, hesitantly turning from the pair. 

And _then_ it hit her. Like a fucking brick, too. 

This was a mistake.

And she did what Emma swan does best, ignoring the pleading calls from a pained and confused Regina.

_She ran._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LEAVE FEEDBACK! I love to see what you think. (:


	7. Too far gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And this time, Emma thinks she won't ever return to the light of the world. 
> 
> Fixed heart or not. 
> 
> She was too far gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this lives up to your expectations, reader.  
> Enjoy! <3

_You are not mine,  
But sometimes   
I pretend that  
You wish you were._

_I create this Idea  
That you secretly   
Want me. _

_And I often forget  
It's just something   
I've made up._

_You do not want me,  
And you are not mine._

_I'm too shy  
To tell you  
How I feel._

_So I'll hide behind  
Timid smiles and   
Soft hellos_

_I'm afraid  
If I ask you  
"What do you think  
of me?"  
Your reply will be_

_"I don't."_

_Poetry by m.k._

Emma's swollen eyes began to adjust to the light of Snows upstairs loft, strings of it flowing through an open window, birds singing on the outside. The room was masked with a golden ray of light, illuminating Emma's hair, pulling out a bright green from her irises as she observed. The night before, Emma had ran from Regina's and to her parents apartment, seeking solace in the two. She appreciated the space that was provided for her almost immediately after her arrival. What Emma felt she needed was-well, she _felt_ like she needed possibly a whole bottle of anti-depressants. but she truly just needed the reassurance that she wasn't alone. And as she sat here in the bundle of sheets that rest on her temporary bed, she feels _not_ alone. But _heartbroken._

Emma had taken a leap off of the precipice, in hopes that she would find water, and be enveloped and swallowed whole by it. But instead, she found a never ending treacherous trench, as she continued to fall. And at this point, there was no soft landing, or waving water to save her. She was what they called _too far gone._ Her heart was too shattered for a bandage, or at this point to even be swept up and put back together. Her heart felt as though it needed replacing. But as her mother said to her the night before, _"I don't understand what has put you here, Emma. But I want you to know that your heart is always fixable. Always. And if it takes weeks, months, years or another curse, we will be by your side the whole way."_ And Emma believed her, despite to horrific and never ending squeeze and intolerable pain that has seized her already damaged heart.

But no one would be capable of fixing Emma's heart but herself. Which is why she knew it was going to take a _long_ time. 

Sometime in the middle of the night, Emma had made her move to the kitchen, in search of any alcoholic drink she could find. She wasn't the stereotype, but she felt as though numbing the pain wouldn't hurt anything, in fact it would help. But a very much awake David stood in the kitchen, well past midnight, to envelope her in another hug as she began to weep at her own actions. 

As Emma numbly rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling, she listened to her parents ongoing conversation that was taking place just below her in hushed whispers.

"I'm telling you David, I know what I'm seeing and it is _heartbreak._ How could we be so stupid and- and- oblivious, this whole time?" Snow looked up at her husband, who was sitting perched on the edge of the bed.

"We haven't been stupid or oblivious, sweetie. Something obviously happened, and I just think we need to give her as much support as needed, along with the space she needs, and maybe observe. And when she is ready.. well maybe then we can ask questions." He squeezed Snows forearm through the comforter she still lay under, as her eyes began to crystallize.

"But David" She moved backwards in the bed, sitting up, the comforter falling off of her shoulders. "What could have put her here, is my question. This is the kind of heartbreak that I-" She stopped, swallowed, and then proceeded. "This looks very similar to the kind of heartbreak I endured when you were to be married off to someone other than me, David." She leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"What are you saying? Do you think she was rejected?" David felt snow nod her head against his shoulder, in a yes. "By who?"

She pulled back, looking sadly into his eyes, before sighing. "I don't know... I really don't know."

Above them was Emma, who had closed her eyes, ushering a tear out of them and down the side of her cheek. _Rejection was an understatement. That felt like murder._

Her whole life, Emma handled heartbreak a certain way. When lily lied to her, her first best friend. When Neal abandoned her, leaving her to serve an undeserved sentence in prison. Or when she sent her new born baby away to be adopted.

She handled heartbreak differently. Shock and Denial was the first stage. Confusion, fear, Avoidance, numbness, and self blame, all littered Emma top to bottom, head to heart. When Lily abandoned Emma in a sense, she had soon after fallen into the first stage. she was confused. Not only at the situation, or why someone she had begun to trust would do something so wrong, but she was confused with _herself_. She would fear where the heartbreak would lead her, and fear what it would lead her to do. She would avoid the subject, the thought, and the heartbreak, in every sense of the word. She would under come numbness, devoid of all emotions. Then she would blame herself.

After that, she was angry. She'd experience hefty amounts of frustration, that 9 times out of 10 she took out on someone else, the 1 being a wall. She'd get such bad anxiety, that her leg would bounce non-stop and her heart would always feel as though it was racing, in fear that the subject of her heart break was coming back to life. She'd suffer through embarrassment, hidden behind her irritation, due to the fact that people were noticing. It wasn't anything to be embarrassed about, but Emma felt that she was better than that. 

And then in the third stage, she'd plummet. She'd detach herself from everything and everyone, all emotions and all colors. She'd become overwhelmed with the feeling of _emptiness,_ to the point of not even realizing the depth of her pain. She would lose weight, stop eating, lose all of her energy and any left spunk, leaving it for the emotional wolves of her heart to devour. 

And slowly, painfully, _somehow,_ Emma would find herself. 

But she'd never come back from the experience the same. 

And this time, Emma thinks she won't ever return to the light of the world. 

Fixed heart or not. 

_Too far gone._

__**__**__**__

"You're leaving?" Robin was propped up in Regina's bed, silk sheets bunched up and around his waste, as he watched an exasperated Regina get dressed in one of her grey mayoral skirts and burgundy silk blouse. 

The night before, after Emma's departure, Regina had sent Robin to bed with no intention of accompanying him anytime soon. She sat in her study for almost an hour, thinking up scenarios that she wishes were possible. _Reasons,_ as to why Emma had shown up the way she did. 

If it weren't for Robin being by her side like a lost puppy, she would have ran after her. Because it felt like the right thing to do. And, also, because she wanted nothing more than to Run after Emma Swan.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a worried Robin, asking Regina to come to bed with him, Saying that she needed the rest. So she did, all the while promising herself she would enjoy every second she could spend in her true loves arms. 

_She hated it. How he didn't_ _notice, was beyond her._

She had woken up late, almost immediately freezing in horror, as scratchy arms held her around the waist. Knowing she had somewhere to be, she easily used it as an excuse to remove herself from the sticky and uncomfortable grip, running for the shower in attempt to scrub the remnants of his body off of her skin until the next time. 

"I've got a meeting at the town hall" She observed her appearance in the mirror, catching Robin's from behind her. 

"How long will you be gone?" His eyes followed her every move, watching as she placed her heels on her feet. 

"I'm not sure." She didn't pay him much attention, as she pulled her grey blazer off of the hanger that rest on the bathroom door. 

"Mind if I stick around?" He lifted his bare leg, running it down his other. 

Regina stilled, contemplating her answer. "I don't-" She sighed, then cleared her throat. "I haven't exactly explained the situation to Henry, I'd much rather He wake up alone per usual." She gave a soft smile, before walking to the door. "I hope that's alright with you?"

"Of course, your majesty." He grinned smugly. 

Regina shivered at the proper term. It just didn't sound right, coming from his mouth. 

"Have a nice day, Robin." She exited before waiting on an answer, practically running down the stairs and out of the house. 

She planned to speak to Emma first thing after the meeting, in hopes that she will be capable of reeling an explanation out of her. Emma was silent about most bothersome things, but she and Regina had grown to open up to one another, so she was almost positive she would get it out of her. 

Flinging the door open to her Mercedes, she slung her purse in, along with herself. 

Murmuring a slur of expletives, she pulled the Mercedes onto the street. 

And for the first time in a few hours she felt relieved. Because she was away from her _fake life_ , and _fake love._

She also wasn't even going to pretend that she wasn't excited to see her best friend. And give her another hug. 

It almost felt easier, though. The _thought_ , at least. Being around Emma when she is dedicated to another. 

Because there officially is no _what if,_ that she can act off of.

There is just unrequited love, that Regina has finally found a way to cope with. 

Mind you it sucks. 

A lot. 

__**__**__**__

The city hall council room was full with individuals from Storybrooke, all of whom were gathering around with familiar faces starting conversation, waiting on the towns sheriff to arrive. 

Granny and Archie naturally stood off in the corner of the room, as they weren't exactly ones to approach, but to be approached. 

"Emma isn't normally late, is she?" Archie cast a side glance towards Granny, before observing the entrance of the room with the expectation that the sheriff would walk through any minute now. 

"No, but I suppose the Mayor and sheriff both set the rules around here. One of them is late, then we all have to wait." She crossed her arms, and raised her eyebrows. 

Regina was already standing professionally at the front of the room, occasionally glancing at the clock that sat above the double doors as she was growing antsy for Emma's arrival. 

She sighed, turning her attention towards the room. "Excuse me, residents of storybrooke." She spoke loudly in an attempt to gain their attention. "Our sheriff appears to be skipping this mornings meeting, so I suppose I'll be doing this myself." She cast a glance across the room, standing in a very orthodox manner. 

Emma had never missed a council meeting before. In fact, she had told Regina one night that she had begun to enjoy them, because it is the only time she is demanded to wear her Sheriff uniform, which she secretly likes. 

_"Why don't you just continue to wear it, then? It looks very- professional."  
"I don't do professional, Regina."_

She clasped her hands together, as Madame Mayor.

"let's begin."

__**__**__**__

"Ruby! Ruby!" Henry ran down the street frantically, backpack in hand, towards Red who was setting out the sign to Granny's.

Glancing up at the boy, she smiled, before furrowing her eye brows in concern at what had the boy so frantic. 

"Hey, Henry. What's going on?" She took one step in his direction, propping a hand on her hip and squinting her eyes at the sun that shone down on her ivory white skin.

"We messed up! We messed up!" He began to panic, speaking in a distraught manner. 

She frowned deeply in confusion. "How? What happened."

"I caught Robin leaving Mom's bedroom! He slept over last night! We can't let this happen! We were getting somewhere!" He babbled, almost as though he was 10 years old again. 

Ruby began to speak, before Henry hushed her. "Wait- We can't discuss this out here."

She sighed, grabbing his arm to prevent him from turning towards the diner. "Henry, listen-"

"What? Do you think people should know, too?" He looked at her, still panting from both running and excitement.

She sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she shook her head. "Henry, maybe this is a bad idea." She looked at Henry apologetically. 

"But- But you said you would help me with this, you said you believed me!" He looked taken back, his excitement fading from his body.

"Henry, it's not that I don't believe you, okay? I see the-" She paused, waiting on a couple of people to pass them, before lowering her voice in secret. "I see the potential, and I see the way they look at each other. I see all of that. But have you ever considered that maybe..." She sighed. "Maybe they are just really good friends. And maybe Robin was at Regina's because-well- they like each other" She watched as Henry's attitude deflated into one of defeat. "Pixie dust doesn't lie." Rubbing his shoulder affectionately, she began to turn around, before Henry jumped.

"That's it!" He watched as not only Red turned towards him, but a few other people as well. 

"Henry, not here." She glanced behind her shoulder.

A smile grew on his face, as well as his excitement, a new plan having come to mind.

He slowly began to turn around, holding eye contact with Red. "Meet me back here later today, okay!?" He began to run back in the opposite direction. 

"I'll be here all day." She trailed off, sighing, as he left her point of view. 

_Henry's back._

___**__**__**___

"Do you want anything to eat? I can make oatmeal." Snow stood at the bottom of the stairs, leading to the loft of a very depressed Emma.

Receiving a grunt of disapproval, She continued to suggest "Pancakes?"

The air remained still, before Snow huffed, her sudden will to help her daughter vanishing as she was clueless with what to do.

Turning around, she dropped to sit on the second from the bottom staircase, watching Neal as he crawled around playing with his transformers. And then, Snow had an idea. Grinning mischievously, she reached to pick him up, before sitting back down with him in her lap. "Emma!" 

Nothing. Silence. 

So she tried again. 

"Emma!" She paused. "Emma, Neal wants you!" She listened closely, hearing what sounded like a loud sigh come from above. "He really does! He's trying to climb the stair case, and I don't want him falling. You need to come down here.:" Snow sat as still as a statue, listening over Neal's relentless babbles for a creak in the wood, or a move of mattress. After a minute of silence, She stood, placing Neal back down on the ground to occupy himself. 

"Fine. I have to use the restroom. He's right here on the rug, if you decide to join him." She slowly walked towards her bathroom, closing the door and peaking through the cloudy white glass, just in case.

it wasn't 10 seconds, before Emma slowly crept down the stairs in an over sized shirt, and black leggings. Snow watched Emma as she surveyed the apartment, and bent over to pick him up. 

"Hey, buddy." Emma cooed. 

Snow flinched at the roughness in Emma's throat, as she squinted to make out as much detail of the pair as she could. 

She heard a sigh, before a quiet "I know you're looking, Mom. Just come out." 

Snow frowned, as she adjusted her clothing, a nervous tick of hers, before opening the bathroom door slowly. "m' sorry." She mumbled, yet to make eye contact with Emma. 

"It's fine, I guess." Her breath hitched, as she watched Emma walk towards the sofa, sitting down with Neal at her side.

Her hair was a rats nest, and her eyes were slightly puffy. Their were physical symptoms, and it didn't take a genius to know that she was depressed. Snow wanted nothing more than to ask or _beg,_ for an explanation as to what happened to her, so she could fix it. She also wanted to smother Emma with hugs and cuddles, but she refrained. She knew Emma wasn't anything like her, despite the fact that she was not only the product of true love, but her daughter.

She was making her way towards Emma, when a thunderous and high-speed knock sounded through the apartment.

Emma jumped in her seat, before pleadingly looking at her mother. "I'm not here." 

Snow sighed, moving towards the door. She took one last look at Emma, before unlocking and cracking the door. "Regina?"

Emma abruptly sat up, startling Neal and Snow in the process, as she abruptly shook her head back and forth, silently screaming _no, not now._

"I-" Snow looked from Emma to Regina, when the woman barged past Snow and into the apartment angrily. "Oh" Snow tripped backwards, watching in horror. 

"Emma Swan!" Regina looked up towards the loft, as she expected Emma to be there, yelling her name. She began to march up the stairs, before a soft and emotionally tired voice called her attention. 

"Regina" Emma sighed, watching a displeased Regina abruptly turn around. 

"Where the hell have you-" She paused, taking in Emma's poor form. She deflated, and softened, "Emma". 

Regina always had a way of saying her name in such a way that made Emma's body tremble.

"Yeah, I know." Emma quietly yet abruptly spoke. "What do you need?" She became entranced with a stain on Snows rug, avoiding eye contact with a puzzled Snow and miserable Regina. 

Emma almost _felt_ the way Regina's back straightened, and her chin raised with establishment. 

"Well excuse me, for feeling the need to not only check on the town _sheriff,_ but my Best friend." She huffed, quickly walking towards Emma who stiffened, and raised her head to finally look Regina in the eyes. "And while we are at, would you like to explain to me why you showed up at my house late last night, only to run off with _no_ explanation whatsoever?" She gazed at Emma with nothing but concern, while her voice remained solid. 

Emma looked at Regina, jaw clicking as she gnawed her teeth into nothing. "You should leave, Regina." 

The other woman's chest fell, as did her eyes. "Emma, please-" She moved to place her hand on Emma. _Because it was always their thing._

When Emma pulled from her touch, she looked down at her feet, Regina's hand still frozen mid-air. 

"I'm sorry, Regina." Emma glanced at her for half a second, before softly clearing her throat. 

Snow had removed herself from the private conversation, having grabbed Neal, walking the two of them outside of the apartment door and shutting it.

"Why won't you talk to me? I thought we weren't doing this anymore." Regina refused to give into the tears that wanted to spill from her eyes, as she pleaded for Emma's eyes to connect with hers. 

Emma sighed, her heart strings pulling until there was no room for resistance. "It's not that I don't want to" She huffed sarcastically. "believe me, I tried."

"What does that mean?" Regina softly spoke, eyes bouncing between both of Emma's.

"It means I can't-" Emma ran her fingers through her knotted hair, before whispering a hardly audible "It means I can't tell you, Regina."

"Okay, you can't tell someone that you have something to tell them, but that you wont, because it only makes them dig deeper. And so help me, Emma, I will dig. So you best tell me now." Regina placed her hands on her hips, before continuing. "And you know what else? I can understand you not wanting to share something with me. But when it is so obviously tearing you apart from head to toe, then I have every right to step in." She took another step closer to Emma, leaving only a foots worth of room between the two of them.

"Look at me." Regina felt Emma's breath caress her cheek, as she moved to place her pointer and middle finger beneath her chin, lifting it less than an inch only to engage eye contact. 

Emma shut her eyes, as she felt like she was swimming, surrounded in nothing but Regina. 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows. "No, Emma. Look at me." She repeated pleadingly.

When Emma lifted her eyes, a bomb could have gone off and neither woman would have noticed. Emma's breathe quickened, as Regina's slowed. The two began to subconsciously lean forward, their noses touching. Regina's eyes dropped to Emma's lips, before Emma whispered, "I will tell you." Staying in place, Regina looked back into Emma's eyes. "But not yet." She grabbed Regina's hand, as on cue they both leaned back into an upright position. "And I need you to respect that." 

Regina swallowed, searching for lubrication before she spoke. "Of course. I can do that." 

They stepped further apart, Emma slowly dropping Regina's hand from her own. 

Looking at one another with a certain softness, Snow quietly knocked on the door, before peeking her head in. 

"Neal needs his pacifier, I'm sorry." She tip toed past the two, Neal on her shoulder.

"That's fine, Dear. I was just about to leave." Regina looked to her right, becoming interested in chipped white paint. 

"Oh" Snow relaxed. "Is everything okay?" She looked between the two, a sense of intrusion still lingering. 

"Yes, mom. We are fine." Regina looked back at Emma, relieved that they were going to be okay. 

Because they were. 

_all In time.  
_

___**__**__**___

"Grandpa!" Henry ran into Gold's shop, startling both him and Belle. 

"And what can I do for you, young man?" He grinned at Henry, knowing the boy was definitely up to something good this time, judging by the look of determination on his face. 

"I'm gonna need your help." He dropped his bag on the floor at Gold's counter. "With Magic."

The two of them shared a look, that spoke troublesome on _every_ level.

"Magic, you say?" Gold limped to Henry, placing one hand on the counter top before continuing. "For what?"

"For my mom's." He spoke with solid sureness. 

Intrigued, Gold lifted an eyebrow, and a hand, subconsciously waving it. 

"Well don't forget" He leaned forward. "Magic _always_ comes with a price."

Henry nodded his head in agreement, as though he had never been so sure of anything in his life. 

"And I'm prepared to pay it." 

__**__**__**__ 

Regina had left long ago, by the time Snow felt it was appropriate to speak to Emma again.

"Can I ask you something?" She spoke quickly, surprising herself as it was the first time any noise had bounced off of the walls. 

Emma sat with crossed legs on the floor with Neal, as she shoved a piece of hair behind her ear. 

Snow moved from behind the kitchen counter, and to a chair in the middle of the room, that was pulled out from the dining room table.

"I couldn't help but over hear a few things- and" Emma looked up at Snow, startled by her statement. "Yeah?" She straightened her back, waiting for her mother to finish. 

She cleared her throat, exaggerating every word as she spoke. "When you showed up last night," She glanced at Emma. "Did you-" She sighed, before quickly finishing the sentence. "Did you come from Regina's?"

The room remained silent, as Emma shuffled off of the ground and into a standing position. Snow thought she was going to leave, until Emma sat at the chair across from her. 

"I did." Emma placed her hands on the table, fiddling with them.

And then it all fell into place. Snow looked at Emma, a small smile gracing her lips, as she thought to herself that _some_ part of her... probably saw it coming. Otherwise, she's sure she'd be losing it. 

"Ok." She gave a stiff nod with her head, as Emma's eyes squinted in confusion. "but-" Snow cut her off, voice as light as a feather. 

"Do you love her?" She watched as an alphabet of emotions fell across Emma's face, finally settling on Z, which looked to be nothing but utter _pain._

Slowly standing from her chair, she moved towards Emma, who's eyes began to water. 

"Yes." It was hardly audible, the hissing of the last letter being the only reason Snow knows she received an answer. 

Pulling her daughters head into her abdomen, she caressed her hair as the blonde began to weep.

"That's okay, sweetie." She spoke softly, her heart breaking as a mothers would for her daughter. "That's okay." She repeated it like a prayer, as she rocked Emma back and forth.

"She doesn't love me back, Mom." Emma began to cry harder. 

Though she remained silent, Snow began to suspect that despite what her daughter thinks...

_It wasn't the case._

__**__**__**__

It was now sundown, as Regina lay facing the ceiling with Robin Hood by her side. 

He was already snoring, of course. Most likely due to the soft and plush mattress, as he was used to the forest floor.

Regina's mind was littered with Emma Swan, and their most recent encounter. 

Emma was heartbroken over something, and didn't want to tell her... which really hurt enough as it is. 

But...they almost _kissed._

And while it was probably one of those _in the moment_ type things...

She just couldn't help the questions that took over her brain, thinking about the pure and innocent _love_ that Emma's eyes possessed. 

In fact, she hadn't seen anyone look at her like that apart from Daniel.

Rolling over onto her side, away from Robin, she closed her eyes. 

_Sleep... please find_ _me,_ Her brain whispered. 

It wasn't until an hour later, exhausted from over thinking, that she finally drifted into a peaceful slumber, dreaming. 

_Dreaming of Emma Swan._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGHHHHHHH I knowwwww I am a terrible person. But I promise that we are so close. So SO close.  
> Don't leave me now!!!! lol


	8. Pixie dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But above all this,
> 
> She see's it all with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't freak out at the end, this book is no where near finished! Also, I really do mean it when I say Feedback is appreciated. Ideas and thoughts are forever welcome. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I will have another one uploaded within 48 hours. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.  
> ENJOY!

_I wonder  
_ _If you think of me  
_ _Half as much_ _  
As I think of you.  
_

_Are you starving of me?  
Of us?  
Probably not._

_  
Because I was never yours,  
And you and I,  
Were never we._

___**__**__**___

**~ _Flashback from yesterday_** ~

"First, tell me about True love." Henry looked at his grandfather, as they made their way to the back of his shop. 

"And why on earth are you interested in knowing about True Love? And why is it about your Mothers? Are you looking to bring the pirate back? Because the price of that just might be him losing another hand. As for Robin..." He clicked his tongue, looking at Henry as he propped himself on his cane, scowling.

Henry fiddles with the tassels on the end of some hat that hung on his grandfathers wall, before sighing. "It's for an operation, and it's really important, Grandpa. I don't know if this is something you'd be interested in, anyways." He mumbled the last half of the sentence. 

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you. Really. I insist." He glanced at the boy, raising his eyebrow. 

Henry walked closer, sighing, as he dropped to sit on the bed that rest beside Gold. "I just need to know if pixie dust is always... accurate." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. 

"You're telling me- that you have come to ask me whether or not _pixie dust_ is 100% truthful?" A glower grew on the Mans face, before shaking his head. "Are you serious?"

Henry gulped, as he began pleading. "Please, Grandpa! I just- I really have to know this! This is my last resort. And I think you know I'm not one to give up. But if this fails.." He trailed off, his eyes trained on older ones.

Gold sighed, eyeing his elegantly crossed hands that rest on the top of his cane, before looking back at the young boy. 

"Pixie dust is rarely inaccurate, my boy." He continued, stretching a leg out in front of him. "In most scenarios that involve pixie dust and true love.. well, being incorrect in its assumption.." He nodded his head as he spoke. "Would have to be nearly a century later, to even be merely considered possible." 

"Why?" Henry furrowed in question.

"True love only changes when people change. And I don't mean externally, or even- on the inside." He waved his hands. "This is the type of change that takes years to overcome. To accomplish." He pointed at Henry, his finger coming in contact with his chest. "You are simply a different person, only with the same name and appearances." He sat back, contemplating his next words. "Pixie dust doesn't lie to us... but life?" He smirks. "Oh, it lies."

"So you're saying if you don't end up with your true love at the right time...then you go without a true love?" He frowned, shaking his head quizzically. 

"No" He said as a matter of fact. "You're never without a true love, despite what some of the- loners might say." He pushed himself self up, using his cane, as he walked towards his cabinet full of magical items. As he opened it, he continued to speak. "The moment the universe decides you are no longer equitable for someone, you're already set on a path towards your _second_ true love. And personally, my boy, I think any true love you _end up with,_ is your only true love. Fate isn't already written, waiting on us to live our lives. It's being written as we speak, as we do things, as we _live._ Therefore-" He spun around with a vial in his hand, limping towards his wooden table. "Magic such as this." He held up the vial, inside was glowing pixie dust. "Can be _very_ right _when_ it's first used, only to be wrong years later. Change- is inevitable."

Henry watched in puzzlement and awe, as his grandfather emptied the glass tubes contents into a wooden bowl. 

"What are you doing?" He looked at Gold.

"Well, I assume you are here to sniff out someones True love, yes? Preferably, one of your mothers?" He looked knowingly at Henry.

The boy stood up hesitantly, clearing his throat. "Yeah."

As Henry slowly walked towards his grandfather, he began to grin widely. 

Somehow, it always manages to work out for him. 

Now, it's time for it to happen for his mothers. 

**_~End of_ _flashback~_**

__**__**__**__

Emma had spent the morning convincing her mother that she was more than capable of being a responsible sheriff today. Monday's were busy days for the sheriffs department, and from Emma's point of view, a _distraction_ was very much called for. 

After confessing her love for Regina to her mother the night before, Emma felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her chest. I mean, granted a heavy one still remained...but a good 50 pounds less was _exquisite._ She was offered everything she craved, which was comfort, understanding, and someone to keep her afloat when she had given up, leaving herself to drown. Snow was more than understanding about the situation, and in a way it had left Emma astonished, because technically speaking, at one point Regina was not only snows Evil Stepmother, but Emma's Step grandmother. And like, just a terrible person for a few years.

Her mother had taken the news with an ease. Almost gracefully, in fact. 

She had recognized Emma's agony, neither questioning it nor addressing it in any unnecessary fashion. And that alone made Emma feel like she had someone to be a light in her dark place. Her _darkest._

"There's our sheriff!" Mulan grinned at Emma as the blonde woman entered the office, placing down a vanilla shaded file. 

With a stern nod of the head and stiff smile, Emma neatly sat in her swivel chair. 

"Sooooooooo....?" Mulan looked expectantly at the other woman, pushing for details on how her confession of feelings went with a particular ex villain. 

Emma sighed, placing her head in her hands while rubbing her forehead. "I don't wanna talk about it." She mumbled into her hands. 

Mulan appeared wounded for Emma, as she leaned forward to place her hand palm up on Emma's desk, offering it to hold. 

Emma accepted the offer as she gave a small and appreciative smile, the two sharing a soft moment together in comfort, when Regina shyly walked into the office followed by Leroy.

She noticed when Emma stiffened upon the other woman's arrival, turning all of her attention on the dwarf. 

Mulan watched as Regina looked towards Leroy, raising an eyebrow and a hand as she pursued him to speak up. "Well? I don't have all day." She pushed Leroy forward. 

He huffed, crossing his arms, before angrily speaking. "It was an accident, queeny."

"Accident my perfect ass." Mulan dropped her mouth, in surprise at Regina's crude comment.

"I ran my car into your yellow monstrosity, and I'm not sorry for it." He looked directly at Emma as the woman abruptly sat up in her chair. 

"You what!?" The sheriff finally looked at an apologetic Regina, who was also internally debating whether or not she should go with another poisoned apple, or a swift break of the neck, as Leroy's secretive execution. But, she reminded herself that she wasn't going to do that no matter how she felt. She had changed for the better.

"Like I said, it was an accident." He muttered, not a trace of guilt on his boiling face.

A pissed off Emma Swan stood from her seat, walking swiftly towards Leroy, grabbing the lapel of his jacket causing him to trip sideways as he was forced to lead behind. Trailing out of the station and to her bug with more than a hot head, she lividly shoved him into the front of her bug as she angrily and sternly spoke. "Show me the damage."

Regina and Mulan had followed close behind, watching as for the first time in- well... forever, Leroy looked as though he would piss himself. 

He cautiously walked to the back of the bug, before shamefully pointing out a small indentation that also revealed black paint under yellow.

It took Regina 5 seconds before she stepped towards Emma, intervening before her eyeballs popped out of her head. "You motherfu-"

"Emma" She quite literally grabbed the sheriff, and turned their body's face to face. 

"Get off of me" She harshly shrugged her shoulders, causing Regina's hands to fall off of them.

Emma knew she was over reacting, and she knew she had just hurt Regina, and she also knows that she has probably managed to ruin her reputation as level headed sheriff. But as the emotional turmoil reaches the surface, she can't find it in herself to give a shit.

The blonde woman took a few step backwards and away from the scene, before looking into Leroy's trembling eyes. "You're paying for that, or so help me you'll spend the rest of the _year_ in that jail cell-" She pointed towards the station. "And If that doesn't make your life hell all on its own, I'll be the one to pour gasoline on the fire." She placed her hands on her hips, huffing, and lowing her voice. "You have 10 seconds, and I want you out of my sight for the rest of the day- no, week. Get gone."

The three women stood, Mulan and Regina looking at Emma, as Emma watched the frightened dwarf run for what probably felt like his life. 

Regina began to make her way towards Emma, as did Mulan who was behind her, as Emma quickly brushed past them and into the station. 

"Emma- wait" Regina's heart leapt into her throat, as though she was losing the blonde all over again. And despite the fact that it was over some hot headed, stupidly idiotic, bullshit of an accident- well, she wanted to cry.

"It's fine. I'll handle it." Mulan placed her hand on Regina's shoulder, searching her eyes and finding nothing but melancholic grief, fear of losing _someone,_ and love. The kind that hurts.

"Just-" The queen sighed, dropping her head and gritting her teeth to prevent tears from running astray. "Tell her I-" She looked up at Mulan, shaking her head as she opened and closed her mouth, searching for her words, as the opposite woman's mouth opened in expectancy, of maybe a confession. "Tell her... that I am sorry. Okay? Tell her that." 

"Will do." Mulan turned, making it half way there, before stopping and turning. "You know-" She watched as Regina turned her head in question, and raised an eyebrow.

"The thing with you and Emma is..." She dropped her smile, in pure, raw honesty. "You _can_ do wrong in her eyes. You can do all the _wrong_ that you've already done, over and over again, and she would acknowledge it. She'd _hate_ it." Regina furrowed her eyebrows, taking a timid step towards Mulan. 

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Regina spoke softly, eyes searching for an explanation. 

"You _could_ do more wrong... but she'd _always_ forgive you. So don't- don't beat yourself up. Whatever it is you did, she probably already looked past it. In fact, she's probably blaming herself. Right now. As we speak." 

The other woman continued to look into Mulan's eyes, wanting to _confess._ What good would it do?

Before she could respond, Mulan had made it back into the station, leaving Regina standing stoic outside of the building. 

And like the ending of a scene in _every_ cliche Romantic film, it began to rain.

_Perfect._

__**__**__**__

**_~Flashback from yesterday~_ **

"Ruby!" Henry walked into Granny's diner, story book in hand, and a grin on his face that spoke nothing but trouble and mischief. 

"What's up?" She leaned onto her right elbow, watching the boy as he threw himself up on the bar stool, and the book on the counter top. The diner was relativity silent, the only people occupying it being a couple of nuns at one booth, and one of the dwarfs at the opposite side of the bar. 

"I know exactly how to find the answer, now." He lowered his voice, leaning across and towards Red on his elbows. 

"What now?" She rolled her eyes, turning around to make Henry a hot cocoa that was, per usual, on the house. 

Henry waited until Red turned back towards him, placing the mug on the table in front of him, when he whipped out the vial. 

With a gasp, she widened her eyes. "Is that-?"

"Yep" He looked proud, as he looked around before placing the pixie dust back in his pocket. "And it's gonna work."

"hmmm..." She raised a brow. "How?"

He squinted his eyes. "She has to consume it."

She tilted her head. "Henry, I don't think that's how pixie dust works."

"It's enchanted. Just- Trust. Me." He sighed loudly. "It will work."

She surveyed him and his intentions, before sighing. "You're too clever for your own good."

He lifted his chin, a smug smile across his lips. "I know."

**_~End of Flashback~_ **

__**__**__**__

"I need to- tell you something." Snow accidentally slapped down the butter knife onto her counter that she had been using to butter her husbands toast, when guilt she had been holding in wracked her brain. 

David looked up from his at home paperwork, as he slid his reading glasses off of his face. "What is it?" 

Snow had never been one for subtlety, and she could _never_ keep a secret. So she dropped the bomb. You know, the whole foot in mouth disease coming out to play.

She bit out in half a second, "Emma is in love with Regina."

Silence. 

And then more silence. 

_Oh, god._

"I know..." He stood up from his chair. "Are- are you..?" He padded his way up next to her. "Are you just figuring this out?"

"What do you mean _you know_!?" She took a step backwards away from the toast, and counter. "Of course I'm just figuring this out. I mean- " She stared at David like he was a ghost. "Since when does she talk to you!?" 

He looked taken back by the comment. "Since when does the talk to _you_?" He bit back.

"When I practically called her out on it." She smoothly slid her hand down the marbled counter top as she came to a stop at the edge. "David? When did-" She sighed, and closed her eyes. "When did she talk to you about it?" 

"She didn't." He looked at snow, puzzled. "I just- ...guessed?" He shrugged his shoulder, as he reached past her to grab his toast. 

Knocking his hands away, she sneered. "You- _guessed?_ "

He laughed as though it was no problem, making a move for his toast again. "Yeah, Snow. They aren't subtle."

"They? What do you mean by that?" She followed him as he made his way back to the table, sitting down and placing his glasses back on.

"I mean they- as in Emma and Regina. It doesn't exactly take magic to tell the two are in love." She stared at him like he had ran over her dog.

"WHAT?!" She blink at him, exasperation written on her face. 

He flinched, before shrugging again. "What?"

"You figure this out and never once bother to share it with me?" She softened around the edges, as a frown took its place.

"To be fair-" He carefully looked up at her, almost bracing himself for what would come next. "You aren't great at keeping secrets."

5 seconds... he counted to 5, and that was it. 

"I WAS 10!!!!!!"

__**__**__**__

Regina had been sitting at her desk for an Hour, staring at the black and white wallpaper, as she was deeply lost in thought. 

Her left brain and right brain suddenly emerged, as all she could think about was Emma Swan. Regina was so emerged in her feelings for the woman, that returning just wasn't even _considerable._ When she opened her eyes in the morning, she thought of one person and one person only. At night, As _his_ arms were wrapped around her, she imagined that they were _hers._ And it was the only way the survived the few hours she remained under the covers. And the nights his arms were just far too scratchy and claustrophobic, she'd pretend to be someone completely different. When he peppered kisses, she'd _only_ close her eyes in an attempt to imagine Emma, until his scraggly beard would caress and aggravate. And when he wanted _more.._ that was where she drew the line. 

There were only two parts of her left, that she could pretend belonged to Emma Swan. One of them _actually_ belonging to the other woman, already. She wouldn't let the man come anywhere near her pants, or her more _private_ areas, per say. She nearly lost it, the night that Robin attempted to take things further with her. Her _heart,_ and her _body,_ belonging to Emma. No one else. And though he made his many attempts at winning _both_ of those, he never did. For Regina had her limits.

She sighed, beginning to move for her secret stash of Apple Jack Daniel's whiskey that she kept hidden in the bottom drawer of her mahogany desk, when her son ran in with a Styrofoam container in his hand. 

"Mom!" He panted, as he was excited to see her face. 

"Henry" She smiled, flashing him that toothy grin that only a certain _someone_ had even occasionally received. "What is that?" She asked as she turned her chair to the left, Henry coming to stand directly in front of her. 

"I made it!" He opened up the container, revealing a mouth watering apple crisp. 

"Oh my" She leaned forward, smelling the aroma it brought to overtake her senses in almost every word. 

"Did you really make this?" She looked at him, before taking the container from his hands, placing it on her desk.

"Well, Me and Ruby. She said you like them." He playfully winked, before continuing. "I even added extra apple to it."

"Well, maybe I'll enjoy some of this after supper tonight, yes?" She began to close the lid, before his hand darted out to stop her. 

"No!" He startled her, and himself, as he was loud in his denial. "I mean- No." He sighed. "It's fresh, and I don't want the taste to lessen as it just sits." He pleaded.

She glanced at him, squinting one eye. "Alright, I- suppose it wouldn't kill me."

She pushed the lid back, as she reached for the plastic fork inside of the container. 

Henry stood at her side, anticipating the first bite, eyes darting between her and the food multiple times.

The air stilled, as she slowly began lifting a hefty bite towards her mouth, tongue darting out as it melted against her taste buds.

"Humph" She groaned behind the food, as she chewed it. "This is amazing Henry. What did you-" She paused, her eyes widening as her speech began to slur. "Hen-Henry? what's in this?" She began to fall out of her chair, Henry's eyes growing wide with frantic fear. 

"Mom?" He caught her as her eyes fell completely shut, her body falling limp. "Mom!?"

His heart leapt into his throat as he shook her frantically, for minutes that felt similar to hours, until finally reaching for the phone.

__**__**__**__

Emma ran into the hospital waiting room, as her eyes began to frantically search for her near by parents. When she had received the news, her previous anger and hurt vanished, quickly replaced by _fear._

"Mom? Dad?" She spotted them, rushing into their presence, as she continued to glance for her son. "Henry?" She finally spotted him, as he was sitting eyes bloodshot in the corner of the room. Emma began to move towards him, before her father stopped her. "He won't talk to anyone, Emma. We've already tried." He looked into her eyes, sadly. 

"Well, I'm his mother, I think he's gonna want to talk to me." She began to move again, when David abruptly stood in front of her. "Just- trust us on this. He doesn't.." He glanced at snow, who was behind Emma's shoulder, before looking back at his daughter. "He doesn't want to talk to you, right now." 

They both watched as the weight of the situation came crashing down on Emma, her chest beginning to quicken in movement as her breathing grew more rapid. "He- he doesn't-" She turned, looking from her mom to her father in a speed that made it hard to catch her eyes. "He doesn't want to talk? to me? and-" Tears began to fall from her eyes, when David enveloped her in a hug. 

As he was comforting his daughter, He watched as Robin Hood ran into the weighting room, in a manner that was similar to Emma's previous. 

"Where is she? Is she alright?" He stalked up towards the family, eyes showing _almost_ as much fear as Emma's did. 

Just in time, Dr.Whale made his way into the waiting area. "I don't know how, but-" He looked between the five of them, eyes landing on Emma's as he spoke. "She's under a sleeping curse." He sighed. 

"A sleeping curse?" Snow piped in. "How is that possible?" She glanced at David, who the chimed in. "I don't understand-" He looked at his wife. "Who would put Regina under a sleeping curse?"

Emma stood in the midst of it all, her tears already evident, there was no use in hiding them. She swallowed, knowing _exactly_ what was to come next. _The only cure._

Dr.Whale looked at Robin Hood, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think you should follow me." He glanced at the rest of the crew, as he began to turn around. 

"What for?" Robin asked, curious. 

"Are you seriously asking that right now?" An infuriated, and scared Emma, chimed in.

David stepped forward, in case one of them was to challenge the other. "Now isn't the time." He looked at Emma, then to Robin. "You need to break the curse."

Everyone watched as Robins pride came to surface, his almost smug- passionate eyes taking their form. 

"Lead the way." Robin looked at Dr.Whale, as the two rounded the corner. 

Once they were out of sight, Emma began to tremble, as she stood in the middle of the room near her parents. 

"Emma, come sit down." Snow lightly caressed her arm, that rest limp at her side.

Emma's eyes slowly shifted towards her mothers, as her heart began to break into a million pieces. 

"I almost-" Emma gasped, choked up on tears, as her vision grew cloudy. Her mother squinted her eyes, encouraging Emma to continue, hoping she would find the strength to be honest with herself. "I almost don't want her to wake up. I don't want her to walk out of that room, cause' it just means-" The blonde began to shiver from the will power it took not to wail right there in front of everyone. She was on the verge of dropping to her knees, melting down, into the floor. But she didn't. She was a statue, that leaked from the eyes. "It would just make it all real" She whispered. _It would mean they were true loves._

Everyone was aware of the two being called such. But Emma didn't need any more proof. As if she would survive _that._

"Oh, Emma." Snow stepped into Emma, giving her daughter the embrace she needed. 

And that's when it happened. 

"Ahem"

A throat cleared behind the four of them, gaining their attention as they all turned. 

Robin stood beside Dr.whale, a look of betrayal ridden all of his face. 

And they all knew.

"I'll uhm-" Robin began to speak, his throat hitching. "I'm gonna stick around, just in case." He looked down, his eyes confirming every word he hadn't said. 

Dr.Whale looked disappointingly at the Family, as he sighed. "Well, would anyone like to visit her?" He turned, motioning towards the room with his arm. 

Emma grew stiff again, as did the rest of them. 

"I'd like to see her." Emma surprised herself, as she broke the silence. "Alone."

She glanced at her parents, who understood and nodded their head slowly.

As Emma began to follow the doctor, she stopped to look at her son, who had still refused to make eye contact with anyone. 

"Henry?" He slowly raised his eyes, tears still actively falling from them. 

"Do you want to come?" She looked at him, hope in her eyes.

Everyone fell silent, as Henry quietly got up and strode towards Emma, grabbing her hand. 

The two looked at Dr.whale, confirming they were ready. "Take us."

The trip to her room felt like it was a mile away, even though it was, quite literally, around the corner. 

Emma's blood ran to her head, as she took in the sight of Regina. _H_ _er_ Regina, laying on a hospital bed. 

She looked just as beautiful as always. The color still in her cheeks, and the silk shine still living in her hair. She was just- _asleep._

Emma took timid steps closer to Regina's bed, as Henry did the same on the other side.

"Mamma" He whimpered. 

Emma had never heard him call her _that._ And in a way, that was Emma's last straw.

She slowly sunk to her knees, her heart miserably clinching around nothing, and her chest feeling as though it weighed a thousand pounds. She searched for Regina's arm, grabbing onto it lifelessly as she was Pleading, hoping, and praying, that she would wake. Because Emma would spend the rest of her life in pain, to watch this woman smile. To witness the small and rare moments, where the woman laughed, her eyes squinting from the size of her grin. Emma would give every fiber of her being, to watch this woman grow old, even if that meant with another. Emma Swan would _Die , _if she got to do it with the knowledge that Regina would _live._

Somewhere between the _"Don't leave Me's"_ and the _"I need you's",_ Emma had whispered in her moment of weakness, _I love you._

Then a teary Eyed Henry looked up from his mothers bed, his forehead covered in small indention's from the hospital sheet below, as his eyes broadened.

Emma's eyes met his, and as she went to reach for his hand across the bed, he jumped. 

"Kiss her."

_What?_

"What?" She looked into his eyes, searching for certainty, or _another_ push, or maybe _nothing._

"Kiss her, mom." He squeaked out, his voice breaking around every letter. 

Emma doesn't know if it's the way he says it, or the way her heart begins to triple in speed, that makes her glance at Regina's lips. But when she does, she see's something.

She see's a future. One full of arguments, and hurt, and heart wrenching pain. She see's slammed doors, broken promises, and battered wounds. She see's betrayal, and tears, and a million heart breaks. She see's _I hate you's,_ that are never true. She see's a slew of _Get out's,_ when one has crossed a line too far. 

_But above all this,_

She sees smiles, and laughs, and family dinners that lead to cuddling contently. She see's holding hands, fulfilling a promise of _love,_ and healing old battered wounds. She see's love making, happy tears, and a million _yes's._ She see's random _I love you's,_ that are always true. And she see's a thousand _stay's,_ and they always will.

And most of all...

_she see's it all with her._

Emma stands on her feet, eyes glancing at Henry once more, before she leans her upper body over the bed, an inch from ruby red lips.

She does it. 

And Regina's lips are like landing on a cloud, after living years on grit. Like taking a breath of air, after having suffocated underwater for what seems to be a lifetime. And it feels like coming _home._

Emma stills, as her lips part and match perfectly with Regina's, gasping at the scattered waterfall of love that bounces not only through her, but _everyone._

_True loves kiss._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no honey, we not done yet.  
> Leave feedback. :)


	9. (Note)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read below

I just want to post something really quickly and say I had a whole chapter written, and before I could post it a friend of mine came by and exed me out of all tabs, which erased the whole thing. I don’t know when I will have another chapter uploaded, because the majority of my inspiration is gone at the moment. I apologize, and I promise I will be back in no time. I just need to find the will to re-write it all. It was personally one of my favorites. I just hope the new version of it will suffice. I should have a chapter uploaded by Wednesday night at least, so don’t worry. As I said, I have very little inspiration now as I’m one to write and go. 

My apologies. ♥️


	10. Her fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She said his name.
> 
> When she woke up, she said his name. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit, this chapter went a completely different direction than I had planned, but I think it worked out alright.  
> It's definitely not the longest, but the next chapter is already planned out, and I can assure you that you're gonna want a clear head when you read it.  
> It won't be safe for work, that's for sure. 
> 
> This story isn't anywhere near finished. Just because our ladies are working it out, does not leave us at a dead end.  
> I'm just now getting started! <3
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this!

She said his name.

When she woke up, she said his name. 

Because when you’ve convinced yourself that you’re destined to be with someone, and you’ve been told a thousand times that you’re both soulmates, and the saying  _ true love  _ is in every other sentence that involves the both of you...well…you say their name.

When you wake from a damn sleeping curse, that can only be broken by true love's kiss, you say their name. 

Regina Mills didn’t wake up, expecting such a beautiful disaster to be standing over her, looking intently into her eyes. She didn’t expect to see the heartbreak take place behind the beautiful green and blue irises, that reminded her so much of water painting, when she  _ said his name. _ And she didn’t expect to see a red eyed Henry that sat to her right, shake his head in disappointment as more tears began to fall from his young eyes, the blonde woman running from the room in a whirlwind of yellow hair.

_ She said his name. _

Because his face was all she saw as she was under the sleeping curse, because a sleeping curse inflicts torture like no other. And her torture was knowing she had made the wrong choice. And being able to  _ see  _ Emma Swan's face would be too much, because she could far too easily lose herself in the eyes of the woman. Or her lips. Smile. She provided an escape outlet. And a sleeping curse was a prison, made to provide you with the thought of your happiness, to then shove in your face what was preventing it. And the worst part was, it was always  _ yourself  _ doing most of the preventing.

So yeah. She fucking said his name.

Robin Hood didn’t break the curse with true love’s kiss. Emma did.

And like Emma Swan always did when things became unbearable, she ran. 

“Why did you say his name?” Henry looked into her eyes, as he grabbed her hand and squeezed.

She swallowed, her throat clicking as she searched for lubrication. 

“I don’t know, Henry.”  _ She knew. _

“That was your last chance, Mom.” He began to cry, folding his arms and leaning his forehead onto them, cradling himself. 

Her head snapped, as she looked at him with confusion. He understood that she didn’t understand his point, so he began to elaborate. 

“That was your last chance to tell her that you’re in love with her, Mom. Why would you-” He whimpered. “Why would you say  _ his name? _ ” At this point the question was rhetorical. 

And he was right. Because Regina put herself here. She denied herself of love, because she was selfish. She thought that she had been selfless the whole time, but it was a tough situation to understand, because while it was selfless to under go the torture of giving your non-existing love to someone, it was also selfish to  _ not  _ take the leap of faith, which was telling Emma Swan how she felt. It was selfish because the only thing holding her back was fear. 

If Emma Swan ran, then Regina Mills just- ignored. Which is the worst thing you can do. Especially in situations such as this. 

“She’s not in love with me, Henry. True love’s kiss works with just about any love that’s considered true. It doesn’t have to be-” She grunted as she sat up in her hospital bed. “It doesn’t have to be in  _ that  _ way.” She smiled sadly at him, before he snapped.

“No, would you stop being so stubborn? You-” He stood up, letting go of her hand in the process. “You are so oblivious!” He furiously wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Mom has been in love with you the whole time. And I- I can’t believe- I can’t believe that I questioned  _ myself!” _

She felt her heartbeat jump to her throat, as she processed his every word, each one feeling like a blow to the gut. For both good and bad reasons. “She’s in love with me?” She furrowed her eyebrows. “Did she tell you this?” 

He groaned, as he had every right to be upset with his mother. “No, she told  _ you _ !”

“What?” It sounded more like an exhale, formed around letters. 

“Just a minute ago, Mom. You should have seen her.” He softened his voice, as he showed the empathy and pain he felt for his other mother. “She was so- helpless. And I don’t ever want to see her like that again.” His voice grew stern again, as he looked into his mother's eyes desperate for her to obey his next words. “Go after her.”

Regina was the worst person when it came to avoiding what her heart wanted, and skipping out on all of her  _ chances.  _ But last chance or not, she was going to try. With her whole being. 

__**__**__**__

Emma stood at the town line, as her eyes followed the yellow lines all the way down the opposite side, watching as they grew smaller and smaller, finally disappearing into nothing. 

As she stood there, streaks of salt water pouring from her eyes, she reminisced on the last 5 years. She’s sure she’d be injured in some hospital by some hitman if it weren’t for Henry knocking on her door when he did. Throwing her world for a loop, in the most incredible way. He brought her to her family. Which, aside from their assigned titles, are wonderful parents. Wonderful people. And Emma has learned that she is every bit like her father, just a bit more worldly. And if she is anything like her Mother, it’d have to be more so in an emotional sense, minus the never giving up. Because here she stood, contemplating leaving  _ everything. _

Henry was going to be okay here. He was growing up, and he had the most wonderful team of guardians around him. And Emma doesn’t doubt for a second that he will grow up loved, and cherished. He won’t have to go through what she did. 

Neal, her baby brother, would most likely be better off thinking she never existed. Because Emma didn’t have some marvelous back story for him to live on as he grew up, anyways. And everyone else did. 

Snow spent all her time hurting for Emma. And Emma didn’t spend so many years of her life, longing for her parents, to put them through everlasting torture. And yeah, leaving was going to hurt her. But she’d be better off. And eventually, with Neal growing, and Henry graduating, and new baby’s, she was going to be just fine. 

David was a good father. He did as he was supposed to, and he  _ worried  _ for everyone, and  _ protected _ everyone. But Emma doesn’t want to be a burden, because all her life, she was a burden. And David would do good with one less burden.

And lastly, what finally pushed her here in the first place, or- I guess  _ who. _

_ Regina.  _

Emma’s life was so tasteless when she got out of prison. It was- empty. There was no fire, no spark, and no-, Hell there was nothing to light in the first place. Not once did she lay her head down at night excited to wake up. Some nights, she’d beg  _ not  _ to wake up.

When her 10 year old son found her, and dragged her along to this fairy tale land...things got interesting. But somehow, in the midst of sleeping curses, and beauties and beasts, and a walking conscience, she found  _ Regina  _ to be the more interesting thing. 

She remembers watching the woman run out of her mansion of a home, with her short hair, grey dress, and  _ piercing  _ eyes, bringing Emma this since of, well, lust- but also.. A sense that she had found her fire. And boy, was she right. Because for a whole  _ year  _ it was like two rocks clashing together so hard that sparks flew. And every time one fire lit, the other person would put it out, and vice versa. She lived off of it. 

When the curse broke, people wanted to take her fire, or to-  _ put it out.  _ And sure, Regina did kind of deserve it for a while, but… Emma didn’t want anyone to take her fire away. So she protected Regina, and defended her, and  _ saved her.  _ And it was so easy to just play the good guy that sees all sides of the story. But in reality, she just saw Regina. 

_ Her fire. _

And somewhere in the midst of protecting the fire, and even sometimes feeding it gasoline,  _ she fell in love with it. _

“Emma Swan!” Regina angrily spoke, though traces of fear and timidness were shown on her face, and streaks of tears beginning to fall as she stared into Emma’s blonde hair. She stood just a few feet behind Emma, huffing as she had spent nearly an hour searching for her. 

The blonde remained frigid, as she listened to Regina, who sounded more hurt than angry, despite how hard she tried. 

“All you ever do is run!” Regina threw her hands in the air, as her body began to shake with the intensity of the situation. “You- you used to  _ never  _ run from me!” She pointed at Emma’s back, as her eyes furrowed and wrinkled with her desperation. “For god's sake, Emma, you- you  _ challenged  _ me!” And she began to whimper. “And now you’re running?” Her tone softened, as her heart broke. 

She watched as the blonde's shoulders began to quietly shake, allowing Regina proof that she was just as much of a mess. “Please don’t run from me, Em-ma” Regina pleaded, as a louder whimper left her throat, causing Emma’s body to stiffen. 

The blonde sniffed, as she slowly turned around to face the other woman, their eyes never straying. 

Regina’s heart beat suddenly appeared in her throat, as it became painful to swallow, and even more painful to prevent her tears from falling. So she didn’t.

Their eyes bounced from left to right, as Emma took a solid step forward, her inhalations sharp and painful. “Choose me.” It was close to a whisper, as it left Emma’s lips. 

Regina wanted to march in Emma’s direction, shake her, while repeating  _ I do, I do choose you, Emma.  _ But the blonde prevented her from speaking, as she wasn’t yet finished. 

“You want me to quit running?” Emma’s face contorted into one of agony, as she felt it was beyond her control. “Then  _ choose. Me _ .” She punctuated her words with a pointer finger in her chest, her sobs becoming more evident. 

“I choose you, Emma.” Regina hesitantly began to walk closer to the other woman, when Emma put a shaking hand out signaling for her to stay put. 

“No, that’s-” The blonde was now openly crying, her vision a blur and her hearing slowly becoming a steady drum. “You don’t mean that.” She shook her head, closing her eyes. “You can’t mean that, Regina.” She was slowly becoming more difficult to understand, as her voice grew weaker, and tears stronger.

“Why not!?” It was simply more of a sob than it was a question, but Emma understood it, as she answered almost immediately. 

“Because you said his name!” Her voice grew, the last of her strength being put into the explanation. 

The air grew silent and stiff, as Emma’s chest expanded, and Regina’s deflated. 

“You said his name, Regina. What-” She hiccuped, as a hitch in her throat cut her off. “What do I do with that?” She shrugged her shoulders, as her whimpers began to cease, the tears still streaking her cheeks.

Regina’s mouth opened and closed multiple times, as she searched and searched for something to say to Emma. To keep her here. To keep her from running. Because without Emma, she was nothing but Embers that lacked the material to catch fire.

The blonde looked at Regina, almost pleading for the woman to say something. To break the insufferable silence between them. And she did.

“I said his name” She slowly took steps towards Emma, until she was close a foot away from her. “Because, who’s name was I supposed to say?” Emma’s shoulders fell, as did her eyes, so Regina quickly sped up, finishing her sentence. 

“Emma, I spent years convinced that my soulmate was  _ him.  _ And while he wasn’t-” She huffed, exhaling and growing more quiet. “While he was never what I wanted, I thought that-” Emma’s eyes snapped up to meet hers. “I thought that he was what I needed. But he was never what I wanted.” Her eyes softened, as a timid and sad smile turned up at the corner of her lips. 

“He might have had my body. And-” She grabbed Emma’s right hand, pulling it up towards her chest, splaying her fingers across it. “He might have had  _ me. _ ” She thumped her finger over the back of Emma’s hand. “But you had this.”  _ her heart.  _

Emma’s body subconsciously began to rock forwards, then backwards. Regina falling into the rhythm as well. 

“It hurts, Regina.” She whined, her chest quivering, as the statement held more than a thousand unspoken words.

“I know.” The brunette released a sad laugh, that sounded more like a sigh. 

“I don’t want it to hurt anymore.” Emma pleaded, as she began to whimper again. 

Regina’s eyes followed one of Emma’s tears, stopping on her lips as her peripheral vision caught the drop of the tear that landed on cold asphalt. 

Emma’s lips were a light shade of red, as they had grown slightly puffy right along with her bloodshot eyes, and her cheeks were sticky as old tears mixed with new. Her eyes held nothing but fear and love, or maybe fear of _ losing _ someone she loved. But Regina wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Emma?” She lifted her eyes to meet the blondes, which had never strayed from Regina’s since they found them minutes ago. 

Regina slowly pressed herself against Emma, their noses barely touching, as each breath intertwined with the other. The hand that held Emma’s to her chest began to caress, as the blondes fingers began to twitch in anticipation. 

“Kiss me.” Regina’s words floated across Emma’s lips, as the warmth brought goosebumps to almost all of her limbs. 

Regina searched for any traces of doubt in the green blue eyes across from her own, and finding none she slowly pressed their foreheads together, waiting for Emma to fill the small distance. 

“If I kiss you…” Her eyes fell shut as Regina raised her right hand, delicately trailing the side of it down Emma’s temple to the place between her neck and shoulder.”I won’t be able to  _ stop  _ kissing  _ you. _ ” 

A soft smile graced Regina’s lips, as she nuzzled Emma’s nose with her own.

“And that’s okay.” She whispered and reassured, as her head grew dizzy from the lack of distance between the two. “Kiss me, Emma.” 

And so she did. 

Emma’s lips slowly caressed Regina’s, stilling and pressing themselves forward, when they found the comfortable slot that felt like it was made just for  _ her.  _ As Emma began to tilt her head, Regina tilted her's in the opposite direction. And when Regina exhaled, Emma inhaled, as her heart began to dance in the warmth it created. It was languid, soft, and slow. And then it was tantalizingly sinful, as heated tongues melded together with every sigh that escaped through their noses. 

And with every kiss, every hum and whimper, and every break where one drew backwards and the other forwards, it felt like everything.

_ Everything good.  _

__**__**__**__

The two walked hand in hand towards Granny’s diner, a light blush across their cheeks, and a heavy warmth floating in their hearts. It was well after midnight, but the crew had made a promise to Regina that they would remain awake and ready for when she needed them, and that Granny’s was where they could be found.

They had made it to the sidewalk outside of Granny’s when Henry,  _ their son,  _ came running out of the diner, surging towards them at full speed, enveloping them both in a hug.

Emma’s eyes began to water, as did Regina’s, when they realized that they could have had this the whole time. This sense of never ever being alone again. Knowing that despite your flaws and mistakes that are to come, they will always be overlooked with love. Because that is what  _ family  _ means. When their eyes met from across Henry, it was immediately a promise of  _ never letting go. _

As the three mingled in together, Snow, David, and Robin walked out of the diner, Granny watching from the inside. 

“We knew you’d find each other.” Her mother gave a proud and happy grin, moving to hug her.

Regina grimaced in a joking manner looking towards Snow, as David began to swoop her into a side hug. “Don’t ever use that ridiculous slogan of a catch phrase on us again, Snow.” He grinned at the two of them, as his hold tightened around her.

As they all swapped hugs, Robin slowly walked towards Regina. 

“I suppose I should be apologizing for-” He looked towards Emma briefly, then finding Regina’s eyes again. “Holding you somewhat captive.” 

Regina smiled at him knowingly, before placing a kind hand on his shoulder. “No one was holding me captive but myself, Robin.” 

“Still. We missed our chance all those years ago, didn’t we?:” He sighed sadly.

She shook her head in disagreement, before replying. “So much has changed, I-” She softly laughed. “At this point I don’t think a chance for us ever existed.” Looking at Emma, who’s eyes were already on her, she continued. “I’m right where I need to be.” Her eyes conveyed love as she looked at the blonde woman standing with her son.  _ Their son.  _

Looking back at Robin, she gave him an apologetic smile. “I’ll see you around, Robin Hood.”

And it was perfect closure for the both of them. Because Regina knew the moment her lips met Emma’s just a while ago, that her happy ending had begun its start.

_ No. _

Happy  _ beginning.  _

She walked towards Emma, whose parents were making their way to their pickup truck parked on the other side of the street, Henry tucked underneath David's outstretched arm. 

“So it’s just us, then.” The blonde shyly smiled, as Regina swooped up her hand, her thumb beginning it’s inevitable stroke. 

“Come home with me?” Regina tilted her head, as she watched Emma’s eyes grow soft, an emotion she had yet to tamper with playing behind her pupils. 

“Okay.” Emma whispered, smiling as she squeezed the other woman's hand. “I’ll go home with you.” 

__**__**__**__

The two stood In the middle of Regina’s bedroom holding hands, as Emma’s eyes surveyed its confines. It was the perfect mixture of dark and light colors, reminding the blonde of Regina’s past, present, and future. The duvet that rests on the Queen sized bed gave off a light reflection of objects in the room, revealing it’s texture to be something of velvet, a visible texture evident on the comforter. 

“You’re okay with-” Emma looked questioningly at Regina. “This?”

The brunette sighed, lifting Emma’s hand to her lips, gently pressing them to it, as she mumbled a muffled “Absolutely.”

Dropping their hands, she looked into Emma’s eyes, a small trace of worry rising to the surface. “Are you? Okay with this?” 

“Oh- Regina, I’m more than okay with this. I just-” She looked at the bed, resting her eyes on one of the pillow cases. “I’ve Imagined this so many times and...It’s just finally happening.” She looked back at Regina, smiling. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

Regina’s smile fell just a hair, as she began to worry she had pushed Emma into something she wasn’t ready for. “You’re right.” She nodded her head, and cleared her throat. “You’re more than welcome to sleep in the guest room, I just-” Regina pushed a strand of hair out of her face. “I just wanted you close to me.” She moved her eyes to some object behind Emma, as her heart slowly pinged in the midst of all its happiness. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Emma caught her line of sight. “I want to wake up next to you.” She cringed as the words came out of her mouth. “God, that was sappy.” She closed her eyes as she giggled. 

Regina smiled, her traces of worry disappearing. “It’s okay. I like it.” 

Emma shook her head, still laughing. “Huh. You’d never guess.”

“Guess what?” They moved towards the bed, pausing at the edge.

“That you’d be into that. Like, the heartfelt emotional stuff.” She tilted her head.

Regina grinned understandingly, as she waved her hand putting the both of them in silk pajamas. Regina’s a shade of blue, and Emma’s an army green. 

“I’m never gonna get used to that.” The blonde looked astonished, shaking her head back and forth. 

Regina crawled into the bed and under the covers, looking at Emma as she pulled them back on one side. 

A large grin grew on Emma’s face, as she childishly jumped under the covers next to a giggling Regina, who held out her arms for Emma to place herself in.

Tucking her head under Regina’s chin, and wrapping her limbs around her in a koala like manner, she sighed with contentment. “This is nice.”

“It is.” Regina fiddle with strands of Emma’s hair. “Tell a soul, and I’ll force feed you spinach for breakfast.” She lightheartedly threatened. 

Emma fakes a gasp, “Oh no, she knows my biggest weakness!” Successfully pulling a laugh out of Regina, she melted further into her. 

With a wave of her hand, Regina cut off all lights, the moon sending a white glow across pieces of their skin. “Goodnight, Emma.”

“Goodnight” She whispered.

  
  
  


_ Regina was Emma’s biggest weakness.  _

_ But she was also her greatest strength. _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and Ideas are always appreciated! :)


	11. Apples

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry’s eyes began to water, as every line of the book registered in his mind. When his chest began to shake, Belle smoothed a hand along his back. 
> 
> “No no no nonono” He repeated in whispers as his chest and shoulders fell.
> 
> This was bad.
> 
> Very bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of NSFW content, including fluff, and more Drama.
> 
> This shit's about to take offff!
> 
> ENJOY!

Regina had always been an early riser, as she’d find herself waking before the rest of the world. When she was a young girl, she spent her mornings alone playing with her toys, or reading her books, as it was her escape time. She could leave the world she felt cursed to, and with a close of her eyes, be in a place she considered paradise. 

It was in the midst of her mornings as a young teen coming of age, that she would pretend she didn’t have such a ridiculously frightening and over protective mother. And as the birds began to sing their first few notes, she would bask in the temporary freedom it brought to her, imagining running away with her love, Daniel.

When she was the Evil Queen, mornings were her favorite time of day, because when the rest of the forest was asleep, she could pretend her life had never taken such a drastic and dark turn. She’d pretend she was still  _ Regina. _

She awoke the first morning of the curse bright and early, celebrating her victory within the confines of her new and modern bedroom, for the first time in a long time feeling nothing but temporary happiness. But it was just that. _ temporary. _

Because when Regina first adopted Henry, it was the mornings she began to dread. She would be up in the early morning, really just past midnight, nursing a screaming baby while relentlessly chanting her sorry’s as to what might have made him so upset. And if she was lucky, she’d get an hour in before being woken up to the same ear piercing cry, as she was helpless in the area of what to do. 

As Madame Mayor, she only dreaded her mornings even more, as she never had the chance to just  _ be  _ with her son, as she watched him learn to make his own breakfast. She was never late to the job, but she was never early, as she was spending as much time as possible in her big and lonely mansion. But it was  _ never _ enough.

And only recently, as she had grown used to waking beside a sleepy and snoring Robin Hood, had she wished mornings didn’t even exist, for they had no longer represented her freedom, but her imprisonment. 

Regina Mills' bedroom was shaded in a light blue, as it was just roughly 30 minutes from sunrise. She awoke to the sight of Emma Swan's light blonde hair splayed across her back, peeks of her shoulder blade outlined by silk pajamas. The blonde woman rested on her left side, the duvet pulled down to the swell of her hips, as a patch of her smooth skin peaked itself from between Army green bottoms and top. 

As the brunette took in the other woman's sleeping form, her heart began to beat more rapidly, chest rising and falling at an uneven pace. Pure and utter  _ love,  _ spread through Regina head to toe, her fingers beginning to twitch as she longed to stroke them across smooth skin. The room was silent, apart from the buzzing fan in the corner, and the sound of shifting material against material, as Regina slowly glided herself towards Emma. 

The lack of distance between the two having made Regina’s ears swim, and her blood pressure rise, she pressed herself all the way against the blonde, her pelvis coming into contact with Emma’s rear, breast against back. Slowly and delicately, Regina slid her hand along Emma’s side, resting it on the patch of skin that radiated utter warmth, lazily tracing patterns. Her nose burrowed itself in Emma’s hair, which just smelt like  _ her.  _ And it made Regina’s insides do backflips. 

As she felt a familiar heat coil below, she shifted herself impossibly closer to Emma, as her hand began it’s retreat back up her side, then moving to the blondes arm as Regina began to pull the sleeve up and over Emma’s shoulder, Revealing more mouth watering skin. She caressed Emma’s arm with her lips, which slowly started out as pecking, then transitioning into open mouth kisses along her shoulder. 

When the blonde began to churn from her sleep, she released a deep sigh, as she felt warmth spread across her shoulder, then her neck. A soft, wet, and heated tongue darting out to soothe the soft nips that Regina was leaving along Emma’s skin, drawing out soft purrs from both women as the moment lived up to utter bliss. When Emma felt Regina’s nose still on her jawline, she slowly turned onto her back, coming face to face with the woman whose eyes radiated pure lust and love, as she pulled her in for a kiss with her left hand that sensually ran itself through dark locks.

Tongues medled and danced, as one body shifted on top of the other, Regina’s legs coming to rest on the sides of Emma. The blonde moved her hands slowly down from the brunette's hair, tracing every curve from her neck, shoulders, then moving down her sides and to her thighs, squeezing as kisses turned lazy, and teeth began to nip. Regina’s hands found themselves on Emma's shoulders, as she gripped material to pull the woman up from the torso, kiss breaking and foreheads resting together.

Breaths mangled together in pants, as Regina subconsciously began to rock her hips, the blonde moving her hands up from thighs to smooth hot skin, that rested under blue silk pajamas. One hand squeezed at Regina’s waist, as the other began to draw lines in a lackadaisical manner on her upper rib cage, occasionally encouraging the rocking that was taking place in her lap. 

Regina tilted Emma’s head backwards as she cupped her jawline, exposing the blonde's neck for her to tongue and devour, leaving the woman panting and writhing under her lips. Both of Emma’s hands simultaneously moved themselves to cup Regina’s breast, as a whimper left her mouth without acknowledgement. “Regina” A drawn out sigh, as nips and laps sent pleasurable and stimulating tingles to the wet and radiating warmth between her legs. 

When Emma’s hands began to knead, Regina stilled, falling forward as her mouth remained open on the blonde's neck, a sharp intake of breath signaling her pleasure.

They were swimming in the others every sense, aroused and lost in the captivating feeling one brought to the other. But in the midst of dilated pupils and mouth watering pleasure, They came to their senses, body's still subconsciously rocking against skin, writhing for more contact. 

“Too soon” Emma panted into Regina’s ear, as the other woman attempted to gather consciousness, feeling as though she was nearing climax from almost  _ nothing.  _

“I know.” Regina’s voice was deep and raspy, as her arousal was evident in all ways. 

“We have forever.” Emma dropped her hands, pulling them out of Regina’s top, wrapping them around the woman's back as she pulled them down into a lying position.

Their hands interlocked, as they both tried to control their hormones, the brunette's leg coming to hike up on Emma’s torso, head tucked near her armpit. “Forever.” Regina repeated, as she began to think she could really grow to love mornings. 

_ Only the ones consisting of Emma Swan. _

_ __**__**__**__ _

“Do we know who put Regina under the sleeping curse, yet?” Snow sat across from David at their dining room table, Henry at their side as he was in the end chair. 

“We don’t exactly know anything.” He sighed, as he looked towards Henry who was toying with his plate full of eggs and bacon. “Henry?”

The boy looked up puzzled, but not hiding his guilt ridden face. “Yeah?”

Snow and David shared a glance, as they had begun to suspect he was hiding something important. _ It wouldn’t be the first time.  _

“Explain to us what happened in her office.” Snow looked at him as she did her best to prevent him from feeling interrogated. “Before you called us.” She placed her hands on the table, threading her fingers together subconsciously. 

“Look, if you think I did it just say so.” He stood up from his chair, taking his plate with him into Snow’s kitchen to dump the remnants of food in the trash can. 

Snow and David followed him with their eyes, before David spoke. “We don’t suspect you did anything, Henry. We are just looking for Clues.”

The teenager huffed, coming to push his chair back under the table. “I did it.”

He watched as his grandparents began to put two and two together, Snow looking at him with wide eyes, David looking at the middle of the table. 

“You-?” Snow shook her head in disbelief. “You put your mother under a sleeping curse?” 

“Not exactly.” As he held the back of his pushed in chair, he began to rock onto his tippy toes. “Well, I did, but-” He sighed, tilting his head. “What I gave her wasn’t supposed to be a sleeping curse.” He looked between the two, as they slowly processed his every word.

“What did you give her?” David concernedly asked. 

“Well, the wrong thing.” Henry turned away from his grandparents, moving to grab his backpack off of the coat rack. 

David stood, with no intention of going anywhere, as he cleared his throat. “Henry?” 

“I’ve gotta go, it’s-” He looked at Snow as he finished. “Really important.” He glanced back towards the door. 

Snow tilted her head, as a very necessary question arose to the surface. “What was the price?”

David and Snow watched together as he froze in the doorway of her apartment. 

“You used Magic, Henry. And magic always comes with a price.” She pointed out, even though she was aware Henry _ knew  _ this. “So- what was the price?”

The boy looked over his shoulder at his grandparents, as he began to nervously chew at his bottom lip. “I-” He sighed, his shoulders sagging. “I don’t know yet.”

And then he left. 

“This is bad, David. Oh this is- this is really bad.” Snow looked at David, who was still eyeing the door. 

“I know.”

__**__**__**__

The door to Gold’s shop swung closed, as Henry slung his backpack to the ground, running with precision as he searched for his grandfather. 

“Grandpa!?” He shoved aside the hanging beads, as he entered the back room of the shop, looking around with a sudden determination. “Grandpa! Where are-” As he was making his way back to the main of the store, he ran into Belle with a loud huff. 

“Oh! Gosh, I-” She took a step backwards, a confused smile littering her face. “Henry? What are you doing here?” She watched as the boy looked behind her shoulders, a look of concern shadowing his face as he didn’t see anything. 

“I’ve got to find Grandpa.” He swiftly moved out around Belle, his shoulder brushing hers as she attempted to regain her balance. 

“What’s wrong? I don’t understand, Is someone hurt?” She followed behind him closely as he came near the exit. “Henry-” She placed her hand on his shoulder, turning him around to look her in the eyes. 

“I said, is someone hurt?” Belle looked at him with concern and curiosity, as she squinted her eyes making an attempt to pull it out of him. 

“I don’t really know, which-” His chest expanded as he inhaled, “Could be-” exhale “A really, really bad thing.” Abruptly turning, he opened the door to the shop, the sound of it slamming startling Belle in her spot. 

__**__**__**__

“You do realize you have to let go of my hand, yes?” Regina looked at Emma with amusement, as the blonde refused to release her hand, standing outside of the town hall. 

“Man, my magic is like- _ cool  _ and everything..” Emma sighed. “But Right now I so want to be that chick with the stretchy limbs from Fantastic four.” With a childish pout, she squeezed Regina’s hand tighter. 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows, as she attempted to pull her hand from Emma’s for what felt like the hundredth time. “I may be educated when it comes to this world, Dear-” A soft laugh left her lips as she watched Emma struggle with keeping Regina’s hand, the older woman bringing steady heat to the surface of her palm. “But I have no idea what you are talking about.” 

Emma finally loosened her grip, sliding her hand out of Regina’s to inspect it, as it was a shade of red. “Man- that was just unfair.” She frowned, before shyly smiling at the other woman. “And we are  _ so  _ having a movie marathon this week.” A lopsided grin fell on her face, as Regina hesitantly took a couple steps backwards towards the entrance. “A moviecation.” Emma wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Don’t be ridiculous” A toothy grin wrinkled her eyes, and spread across Regina’s face. “I’ve got to go, Emma.” She placed her palm on the door, before slowly pushing it open. 

“Right, Mayoral duties and all that.” Emma grinned, shoving her hands in the backs of her pockets. “I’ll see you for lunch.” She winked, as she teasingly addressed Regina. “Madame Mayor.” 

“Yes, you will.” Regina’s eyes shined with something mischievous, as she disappeared into the building. 

Emma slowly turned on her heel, her content grin never leaving her face as she marched to one of the patrol cars parked outside of the city hall. Using the keys Regina had summoned with her magic, she unlocked the door, sliding into the driver's seat. 

Once she found herself on main street, she thought back to the early morning she had spent with Regina. 

She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that.. _ her feelings were reciprocated.  _ Granted, her and Regina had much to discuss in terms of what would be taking place between them. But the reassurance that Regina had no intention of going anywhere was nice. They had spent the morning holding and caressing the other in silence as their brain and  _ body  _ were recoiling from their state of bliss. Emma recalls that, as they had rested there together in Regina’s bed, sunrise illuminating their bodys, the other woman  _ was  _ just as happy to be in her arms. She could just feel it. Reciprocation on all levels. And it was a wonderful feeling, knowing you could be so devoted to someone without taking repercussions. 

Emma also established that after their.. Well… miniature sexual escapade, it was going to be  _ very  _ hard to be around the woman and not imagine the way her tongue felt as it slid against her own, and the way goosebumps arose on Regina’s skin whenever Emma-

“Hey! Watch it!” Leroy threw his hands in the air, as Emma hadn’t been paying much attention at the stop sign, waiting on pedestrians to pass. “So much for a half decent sheriff these days.” He mumbled under his breath as he continued to make his way down the sidewalk. 

But it’s okay, because not much can bring Emma Swan down today.

She’s got her girl. 

Which reminds her, _ she already misses the other woman. _

__**__**__**__

“I can’t find him.” Henry pouted, as he admitted his own defeat, dropping his head down onto the table that sat between him and Red at Granny’s. 

“Where have you looked?” She sighed, acknowledging the distress of the situation.

“Everywhere he would be! He’s not-” Henry lifted his head, as he shook it. “He’s not anywhere around here, Ruby. I don’t know where he would disappear, but he clearly knew what he was doing when he-” He sighed, the rest of the sentence already understood by the waitress. 

“Right.” She nodded her head. “Well, there are only so many places he could be.” She furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. “I can always try sniffing him out, but.. He’s the dark one, hen. And he’s never liked me- so.” She chewed the inside of her lip, as she continued to run her brain all ways through the situation. 

“Mom knows I put her under the sleeping curse, but what she doesn’t know, is that I didn’t intend for it to be a sleeping curse!” His worry was evident, as he looked deeply into Reds eyes. “And what- what if the price is greater than we think? I mean-” he began to speak in tumbles. “Grandpa disappeared right after tricking me, which only means chaos is bound to take place here in storybrooke-” 

“Henry” She reached across the table to grab his arm. “You have to calm down, okay? I mean- maybe he knew it was the only way to get your mothers to understand their love for one another. They  _ are _ pretty stubborn.” She tilted her head as she suggested the probability. 

He shook his head, looking at Red as though she was a stupid. “He is the dark one! He is always one step ahead, except this time he’s like-” his eyes widened. “Fifty steps ahead! Because we are clueless.”

Red dropped her head, as she agreed with the boy. “Well, have you noticed anything happening? Is there anything out of place?” 

“No. But I think if the price was something abrupt it would have already taken place.” he sighed. “It’s most likely long term. And it’s-” shaking his head, he looked down at his hands. “And it’s all gonna be my fault. I should have just left it alone. Maybe-” Red cut him off.

“Stop, listen to me.” She seeked his eyes out with her own, sighing as she shook her head. “Your mothers are so lucky to have a son like you, henry. And don’t think for a second they would blame  _ any  _ of this on you.” She shook her head up and down, giving weight to her statement. “And don’t jinx this whole  _ all magic comes with a price  _ thing.” 

“This is storybrooke, Ruby. And all magic  _ does  _ come with a price.” He looked at her pleadingly as his eyes represented regret and sadness. “I just shouldn’t have meddled.” 

Ruby sighed, giving his arm a stiff rub as she removed herself from the booth. “We will fix this.” 

_ You can’t fix something without knowing what needs fixing in the first place _ , he thought.

Someone was in trouble.

He was gonna find out who.

__**__**__**__

Regina had been sitting at her mahogany desk the past 2 hours as she struggled to do _ anything  _ but think of Emma Swan. And normally, Regina would always suffer an underlying ache in her heart as the blonde would take up residence in her brain, but this time the thoughts were only accompanied by a churning heat below, as she wriggled in her chair and reread the same sentence for the fifteenth time. 

She was growing impatient as she sat and waited for the blonde to arrive with lunch, but she was unsure of whether or not she’d be able to concentrate better if she was here or gone. Honestly, she loves the way Emma is all she can think about. But she’s not going to drop her very important duties as Mayor, just because she feels as though she has slipped a female viagra. _ Or two. _ Heaven knows the town went to dirt the second it was in Snow’s hands. 

Forcing herself to  _ at least  _ change topics, she began to contemplate why Henry would put her under a sleeping curse. She knows he was aware of her feelings for Emma, but a sleeping curse for the blonde to break, especially when he wasn’t sure Emma would have the capability to break it, is kinda dramatic. Even for Henry.

She knows that there are only two other people in Storybrooke who would consider handing Henry magic, and that would be The Blue Fairy, Or Rumplestiltskin. And if their intentions were anything but wonderful, she will be sure to have them seared  _ well done. _

Huffing, she began to flip through a manilla colored file folder, when a knock echoed through her pristine office. Looking up she smiled, as her stomach filled with butterflies. “Emma?”

The door pushed open as the blonde strode in, a paper bag gripped between her teeth, and a root beer in each hand. “Hmpho” She attempted to greet the brunette with a hello, the bag muffling her speech. 

Regina shook her head with a light laugh, as the blonde shut the door with her foot. She playfully skipped towards the desk with a childlike manner, causing Regina to raise her eyebrows at her antics. “Was that  _ truly  _ necessary?” Emma sat down the drinks, and grabbed the bag from between her teeth. 

“Yes.” She giggled as she leaned forward, pecking Regina’s lips as though they had done it a thousand times before, leaving the brunette startled. 

Shaking her head lightly, Regina looked from the blonde to the bag, as she sniffed the contents through her nose. “What’s this?” 

Emma grabbed a chair from the large table that sat to her right, placing it in front of Regina’s desk, before snatching up the bag. “A caesar salad for the lady, no croutons, extra grilled chicken.” She pulled it out, placing it in front of Regina. “Andddd a grilled cheese for me.” With a shrug of her shoulders, she sniffed and sat the empty bag down by her feet. 

Regina looked at Emma with a small suspicion of how she got this lucky, before reaching blindlessly for the root beer. “Thank you, Emma.” 

“No problem _ o _ , sexy.” The blonde wriggled her eyebrows playfully, causing Regina’s to sky rocket towards her hair line. 

“Okay, what is up with you? You’re in a-” She was lightly laughing through each word, when Emma finished her sentence. 

“Good mood?” She smiled, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Why wouldn’t I be?” She tilted her head back, as she closed her eyes and continued to chew. “I’m sittin’ here with the most-” She swallowed her food. “Amazing woman in all the realms and-” Emma trailed off, watching as Regina stared at her lips. “And she totally wants to kiss me tight now, judging by the fact that she’s ogling my lips” She made a kissing sound, as Regina shook her head. 

  
“No, you have cheese on your lip.” She laughed at the blonde. “You fool.” 

“What? No I don’t.” She began to rub her face, inspecting it as she looked in her reflection on the shiny desk. Gasping, she looked at Regina. “You liar!” 

“I like seeing you such a mess.” She began to open her salad, when Emma finally quieted down. 

“But you did want to kiss me?” Emma tilted her head, as she searched for an answer.

Regina sighed, as she rested her head in her hands, elbows on the desk. “I always want to kiss you.” Her eyes softened. 

“Good.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Emma wiped her hands off on her jeans, as she reached for the root beer, her neck vein growing in appearance as she began to chug the drink.

“Hmph” Regina eyed the vein, as she lifted her plastic fork to her mouth, mouthwatering for an entirely different reason. 

Emma tilted her head with a playful smirk. “What?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Oh it’s something, alright. Look at you” Emma smirked as she noticed Regina’s pupils had dilated in the slightest, and her skin began to flush with pink. “You want to kiss me” Her eyes widened, as she realized what Regina was holding back from.

“I- what?” Regina fainted surprise. “I’m eating.”

“I don’t care. Just admit it.” Emma stood up, placing her palms down on the desk.

“Admit what?” Regina pretended to not acknowledge the effect Emma’s scent had on her, which wafted through the air as the blonde moved. 

“Stop playing coy-”

“I’m not playing coy. Who’s playing-?”

“You’re playing coy, Regina!”

“Am not”

“Yes you are! Woman-”

“Don’t woman me.”

Emma smirked in victory, as she leaned even closer to Regina, who was subconsciously pulling her chair towards her desk. “You already said that you always want to kiss me, though. Are you lying?”

Regina furrowed her eyebrows as she tilted her head, eyes gazing into Emmas. “I never thought I’d live to see the day Emma Swan engaged in playful activities such as this, most of all with me.” She licked her lips.

“Sounds dirty.” Emma giggled, leaning forward enough to suggest she wanted Regina to fill the distance. 

Rolling her eyes in the process, she complied, slowly leaning forward to press gentle and quick kisses on Emma’s lips. When the blonde began to giggle, Regina smiled without pulling away, talking as their lips rubbed. “This is very unprofessional.” 

Emma hummed, leaning forward to further press her lips into Regina’s, slowly opening when she felt the other woman's tongue lightly touch at her bottom lip. As the kisses grew deeper, Regina began to stand from her seat to lean across the desk further, without breaking the kiss. Emma lightly blew out air, as it fueled Regina to slowly flip her tongue through Emma’s mouth, eliciting a light moan. 

Regina moved one of her hands over Emma’s, as they provided support for the blonde, when she felt her bottom lip swell from suction, as Emma pulled away slowly with it between her lips.

Regina remained over the desk, eyes closed, supporting her upper body with her palms, when she heard Emma sink back down in her chair. 

“Your cleavage looks lovely, from here.” Emma spoke lightly and teasingly, her voice only sending another spike of arousal through Regina due to its light rasp. “As do you.” The blonde continued.

Regina finally began to sink into her chair, a steady throb making itself known with her every movement. “Is that so?” She asked, as she was still in a daze.

“Mhm” Emma tilted her head, inspecting the other woman. “You’re beautiful.”

Regina’s demeanor snapped, as her eyes held disbelief, searching Emma’s. 

“I mean it. I think you’re-” She sighed. “Really beautiful.”

A shy smile grew on Regina’s face, as she happily sighed through her nostrils. 

  
“I think you’re beautiful, too.”

_ She does. _

__**__**__**__

Henry found himself back in Gold’s shop, speaking to Belle about the man's recent stunt.

“Do you perhaps have any leftovers from the desert you gave Regina?” The two stood leaning over a giant book, as they inspected it together. 

“Uhm, maybe. I think..” He looked at Belle in confusion. “Why?”

“Well, it says here that with the correct supplies, which-” She waved her hands “are around here somewhere, I can salvage what magic was given to Regina, and take it from there.” She looked at Henry, as she watched him think through the plan. 

“But how will that determine the price?” He shook his head.

“Magic itself is what determines the price, so I’m hoping that with this spell and a bit more research, I can figure it out before we begin to see-” She paused “Whatever it is take place.”

He ran his finger over the pages of the book, before replying. “You think it will work?”

“I hope so. I’m just gonna need to get-” She watched as he reached for his backpack. “The uh-”

“Apple dessert?” he suggested.

“Yes, that.”

“I’m on it ASAP.” He grunted, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

Belle caught her eyes widening as she watched him leave, before she spoke to herself.

“What is it with curses and apples?”

__**__**__**__

“Oh- Emma”

Regina was sitting in her desk chair, an unabashed flush reddening her cheeks and an urge to grind her hips into thin air riveting through her body. Emma Swan sat straddling the older woman, as her tongue, lips, and teeth did explicit things to her throbbing pulse point. 

Regina gripped the edges of her chair, knuckles turning white, as Emma ran her fingers through dark and untame locks, trailing her tongue up toward an ear lobe, when _ Henry Mills _ of all people burst past the office door.

“Mom! I need-” 

“Henry!” Regina hollered, as Emma pulled herself up almost comically, as though something burnt her. 

“Oh- OH” He raised his hands over his eyes, as he began to freak out in embarrassment. “Oh my god oh my- this did not just happen to me” He began to mumble under his breath and beneath his hands as he paced back and forth.

“Henry, it’s not like we were naked..” Emma put her hands on her hips, as she squinted her eyes a couple of times to regain her focus as _ mother. _

The three of them shared a silence, Regina most likely the most scared as she had never been walked in on, least of all by a son.

“What do you need Henry?” Regina cleared her throat, as she watched Henry force himself, and fail, to make eye contact with her. 

“I just need-” He pointed at the trash can beside Regina’s desk. 

“What?” Emma huffed in annoyance, from both sexual frustration and embarrassment. 

“I need the desert I cooked for mom.” His eyes frantically glanced around the room, not once landing on something. 

Both women went frigid, as Henry mentioned the food he had _ cursed  _ his mother with. Regina began straightening every piece of clothing she could put her hands on, as she then reached for the white styrofoam box. 

Clearing her throat, she held it out for her son. “Here.”

He timidly took steps forward, grabbing it, then turning around quickly as he left with a mumbled “Thanks.”

Emma stood a few feet to Regina’s right, hands on her hips, frozen. “I’m, uh…” She looked at Regina who had slid back up to her desk. 

“I’m gonna head back to the station or-” she took a deep breath “Maybe follow our kid and see what he’s up to.” Regina’s eyes snapped towards Emma’s at  _ “our kid”.  _

Regina remained silent as she watched Emma nod her head at her own statement, proceeding to grab their previous trash and place it in the garbage for Regina. 

When she finished, she stood at the front of Regina’s desk, eyeing the materials that lay across it. “I’m gonna call you later tonight” Regina’s eyes looked quizzically at Emma’s, and possibly a little hurt. Maybe in misunderstanding. 

“Are you staying with your mother?” Regina’s voice was solid, as her eyes gave away her worry. It might have been a bit presumptuous on her part to assume Emma would be staying at her place now, but Regina was used to being near her previous partner, and in hopes to replace the memories, she’d rather not be away from Emma. 

“Uhm- just-” Emma blushed. “I’m going to call you. Okay? Trust me.” She began to turn around, before she hesitantly turned back, and bent over the front of the desk again to press her lips against Regina’s, sharing a short and sweet kiss. 

The truth behind the situation was- Emma Swan, had absolutely  _ no idea  _ how she could possibly manage to keep her hands to herself after their recent physicalities. And Regina was a Queen, for God’s sake. She deserved  _ at least  _ one date first. 

“M’kay.” Regina sighed, as she watched Emma turn to leave her office. 

She chuckled to herself as a very childish saying came to mind, when Emma closed the door.

_ Hate to see her go, but love to watch her leave. _

__**__**__**__

Henry finally marched into Golds shop again, with the container in his hand. He was sure that he wasn’t going to be able to make eye contact with his mothers for a decade, but- he  _ is  _ kinda glad they aren’t being stupid anymore. 

“I’ve got it.” He walked towards Belle who had her back turned, leaning over Golds table of potions. 

She remained quiet, as Henry watched her inspect a potion that rested in her palm. “What is it?”

She sighed, as she shook her head and held it up closer. “I don’t think I needed that desert, Henry.”

“What do you mean?” He placed the styrofoam container on the table, as he then turned the rest of the attention on the vial belle had now placed down on the old wood. 

Sighing, she looked at Henry. “The price of the enchanted pixie dust  _ was  _ the sleeping curse, But-” She trailed off, as Henry deflated. 

“But what? Isn’t that good news?” He watched as she shook her head, pulling the book that was to the side in front of them.

She then lifted up the vial, holding it out to Henry for him to inspect. “Did you watch him pour this in with the pixie dust?” She raised her eyebrows in worry.

“Yes-” He looked from it and back to her. “Why?”

She closed her eyes, as she cursed Rumple's name beneath her breath. 

“Belle?” He put his hand on her arm, and squeezed, bringing her to open her eyes.

“We’ve got an even bigger problem.” She pointed to a section of the book. “A really, really big problem.”

Henry’s eyes began to water, as every line of the book registered in his mind. When his chest began to shake, Belle smoothed a hand along his back. 

_ “No no no nonono” _ He repeated in whispers as his chest and shoulders fell.

_ This was bad. _

_ Very bad. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated! I felt as though the fluffiness wasn’t necessary, so let me know if you’d like me to dumb it down, or include more. Also- if you actually want smut, I suggest you say so! Lol Hope you enjoyed! :)


	12. The Curse Of True Loves Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If Regina and Emma remain together, all of Story Brooke falls apart.” She sighed, dropping her head at the knowledge only she knew. “And even worse for them, Henry-” She stopped her own words, as the thought echoed in her brain, sending a painful shiver down her spine. 
> 
> There was no way in hell Belle was going to put down a single book tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is NSFW content in this chapter, and... honestly a bit of everything.   
> Don't forget to leave feedback after reading! And if you think it's good enough, share this fic with the fandom!
> 
> Lol Enjoy!

**_Previously…_ **

Henry’s eyes began to water, as every line of the book registered in his mind. When his chest began to shake, Belle smoothed a hand along his back. 

“ _ No no no nonono _ ” He repeated in whispers as his chest and shoulders fell.

This was bad.

_ Very bad. _

_ __**__**__**__ _

Emma sat in her patrol car outside of the station, as she lifted the cell phone to her ear, waiting for the ringing to stop which would signal that Regina had answered her call.

“Regina Mills” The woman's voice echoed through the phone, a smile rising to Emma’s face before she responded. 

“Ya’ know, when I clicked on the contact name, I was pretty aware of who I was calling.” She sarcastically declared. 

Regina smugly smiled on the other end. “Clarification never hurts, Dear.”

“Right.” Emma hummed, before addressing the reason she called. “Listen, I’ve got these, uh-” She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her opposite hand. 

“Quite the expert with your words.” Regina laughed, as she heard the blonde sigh through the phone. “Take your time.”

“Oh what the hell-” Emma jumped the gun. “I wanted to ask you out on a date with me, but my plans for a first date with you were kinda-... Stolen?” She winced as the words left her mouth. 

“What about second date plans?” Regina teased. 

“Well you see, I actually had something in mind, but-” She shyly laughed. “It would be- ah.. A lot?” Emma squeaked. 

“Is that a question? Because I don’t recall you telling me what it is you had in mind in the first place, which would be necessary for me to know if it was  _ truly _ my opinion you’re seeking.” Regina lifted a brow through the phone, as she began gathering her things from the office.

Emma sighed in defeat. “I think I’d rather keep it, I dunno’- second date material?” She offered. “So I guess this is my way of saying our first date is either gonna be  _ really  _ original or it’s just gonna suck. Which like- I’m not super great with these things anyways, and-” She rambled on. “It’s not like _ you’d _ ruin the date, because that’d be impossible… I’m just- like, _ a dork _ . Especially around people such as yourself which-  _ ah _ \- you’re beautiful and-” Emma grunted in embarrassment. “Oh  _ god _ , I’m rambling.” 

Regina’s laughs grew through the phone as well as her amusement, as she listened to Emma’s rambling speech die down. “What happened to that overly confident blonde that was in my office  _ just  _ a couple hours ago? In fact, where is Emma Swan and what have you done with her? Her ego is the size of Storybrooke.” she queried. 

“She’s recharging for the  _ actual  _ date. And- wow. For your information, storybrooke is  _ small. _ ” She pretended to be wounded. “But Right now, it’s dorky Emma to collect information, which-” Emma squinted at herself as she readjusted her seat in the patrol car. “She’s not gathering much knowledge right now, and- the other Emma’s are going to be very concerned.” 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows in amusement, as she flipped the switch off to her office. “How many Emma’s _ are _ there?” Just as the blonde began to open her mouth, Regina cut her off. “Don’t answer that.” Regina grinned into the phone as she rolled her eyes. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Emma.”

After a few beats of silence, Emma softly spoke. “Okay. Well…”

“What is it?”

“When do you want to do it?” Emma bit her nails in anticipation. 

Regina lightly laughed as she slid into her Mercedes, the phone still against her ear. “I’m free whenever you like, Dear. Just- Preferably a little later in the evening.” 

“Okay.” Emma sighed, before humming in question.

Regina sighed, “What?”

“Can henry maybe-uh” She began to blush furiously. “I don’t wanna’-” 

“Out with it, Emma.” 

“I don’t want to assume! But-” She sighed. “I want Henry to stay at my parents’ place.” A beat. “Just in case.” She added. 

“Hm-” Regina smiled dumbly, as she played coy. “Then he will. Just in case.”

“Tomorrow night sounds alright?” Emma foolishly smiled, dimples in place. 

“More than alright.” Regina then asked as she hid her disappointment. “So does this mean you’ll be staying at Snows?” 

Emma released a sound that proved she was contemplating her answer. “Yeahhhhh, I just-” She laughed through her next words. “I don’t think I’d be able to control myself. Next to you, I mean.” 

Regina rolled her eyes, even though she knew  _ exactly  _ what Emma meant. “Why am I not surprised? You eat like a teenage boy who’s going through puberty, therefore it only makes  _ perfect  _ sense that you’d have the same hormonal issues.”

“I am greatly offended.” Emma deadpanned. 

“Don’t be.” Regina reassured. 

“Hmph” Emma released a grunt. 

“I need to let you go. Our teenage son is going to be at home waiting for dinner. Can’t have him starving. He’s far too much like his mother when it comes to the confines of his stomach.” Regina teased. 

“Right. Cause’ you don’t occasionally binge on dark chocolate morsels.” Emma grinned.

Regina fainted a gasp, “Excuse me?” 

“You’re excused.” Emma sent a Mwah through the phone, before she quickly suggested they make their goodbyes. 

“I’m gonna let you go, Gina’.” 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Dear.”

The line clicked.

__**__**__**__ 

Henry and Belle had immediately made a call for Snow and David to come by the library, but to keep it hidden from Regina and Emma, for the cost might be too great. When David answered the phone, he knew by the tone of his grandson's voice that something was incredibly wrong, but now that he stands here with the same knowledge the rest do, he understands why.

Snow sat with Neal in her lap in the center of the room, while Belle continued to search through books for a possible remedy. David stood beside Snow, carefully caressing and comforting her, and Henry stood on the opposite of all of them, tears streaming down his face. 

“Why would he do this? I don’t-” The teen came up speechless, as he had spent nearly an hour running through thousands of reasons as to what might compel the man to do this to his mothers- or well,  _ everyone. _

_   
_ “He’s the dark one, Henry.” Snow pointed out, as she was just as much in a predicament. When she arrived shortly behind David, having been at the diner, she entered a tense, cold, and silent room. And now, she sits here just as clueless and guilt ridden as the rest. Or maybe it was just second hand guilt. _ For Henry. _

Belle wobbled her way to the center table, a stack of books almost preventing her from seeing where she was headed. “I’m gonna go through these but feel free to lend a hand.” She sat the stack down as she spread each book out on the surface. 

“What if there isn’t a cure? What if this is just- Inevitable now.” David- normally being the one with the courageous and uplifting spirit, began to ask questions. 

“With every spell comes a spell to reverse it” Belle looked at him, raising her eyebrows. “I just don’t exactly know which book it’s in-  _ IF  _ it’s even in one. I’m not all sure of what Regina brought with us.” She sighed.

As they all sat around in the library, each flipping through book pages, Henry’s phone began to rang, startling everyone of them.

Sighing, he excused himself. 

“Hello?” He answered, as he continued to walk further away from the crew.

“Henry? Where are you?” It was Regina, as she no longer sounded like the worried mother all those years ago, but a curious one who would very much like to know what her son was up to at sun down.

“I’m- uh” he pondered, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m with Snow and David!” He nodded his head, though she couldn’t see him. 

“Well, where are your grandparents?” She pushed. 

“Here. With me.” He continued to beat around the topic, having learned from Emma the easiest way to remain invisible in situations such as this one, is to simply act  _ dumb.  _

“Emma said they aren’t at the apartment. So I will ask you again.  _ Where. Are. You? _ ” Her curiosity began to grow, as she was well used to her son sneaking out when it was unnecessary, or even more so, when it  _ was  _ necessary. 

“We are all at the library.” He flinched as he awaited her anger or lengthy questions. 

“Fine. I suppose I cooked all of this for nothing, then?” She rhetorically asked. 

“M’ sorry mom. Just-” He sighed. “Trust me on this one.”

A sigh. “I always trust you, Henry.” She softly answered. 

They allowed short silence to grow, before Henry suggested to his mother.

“Call Emma.”

“Why do you suggest that?” She asked, a little taken back.

“Because I know you don’t like to be alone for dinner.” And it was true. Regina hated it, ever since Henry came about. “And everyone else is here, so-” He pointed out.

“Alright I’ll- I guess I’ll do that.” She answered. 

“Love you, Mom.”

Silence. 

“I love you more.”

__**__**__**__

Regina sat alone at her dining room table, as she held her cellphone in her hand, contemplating whether or not she was going to call or text Emma.

When the gang finally began to see past everyone's differences, Regina no longer had to worry about being alone. She didn’t  _ only  _ rely on Henry. And on nights Henry wasn’t available, she’d often skip dinner all together. For she didn’t have the appetite to eat it alone. It didn’t take much for the ex villain to feel lonely, or depressed. She was very manic, with it came to her depression. 

Opening her cell phone, she sent a text to Emma. 

_ I’d like for you to have Dinner with me. Henry isn’t here, and I suppose company wouldn’t harm me. _

_ It could even be our first date.  _

Regina was a very straight forward Woman when it came to most things, but if she had been aware of how... _ suggestive... _ her text sounded, she probably wouldn’t have sent it. Not that she wouldn’t mind  _ that.  _

Within seconds, she had her response. 

_ Are you sure? _

The moving bubbles at the bottom indicated that Emma was still typing, but Regina decided to clear the air of any uncertainty, which Emma  _ had  _ previously shown.

_ Yes, I am sure. Now please, the dinner is getting cold. And I am sure you know how I feel about that. Chop chop, Miss Swan. _

As she moved to place her cell down after having reread the text once it was sent, she already had a response.

_ Miss Swan? Am I in trouble? Lol _

Regina rolled her eyes, but then began to survey the text even further, finding that she wouldn’t mind if Emma  _ was  _ in _ trouble. _ But they could save that for another day. In the future. Near future? No, far.  _ I think.  _

_ Fine, EMMA. Just hurry up. _

_ Please.  _

She then placed her cell phone down, moving to grab a glass of Cider, oblivious to her received message. 

_ I'm on my way. _

__**__**__**__

“The Curse of True Loves Kiss.” Belle slowly read from the book, as she then looked up hesitantly towards david. 

“Who would invent such a thing?” Snow looked baffled, as she shook her head in denial. “And why would- why would Gold curse Regina with it?  _ AND  _ Emma?”

“That still remains unknown to- well,  _ all of us _ . But I assure you I am doing everything I can.” Belle began to move for another book that rested on the opposite side of the table. “Most curses are easily broken by True love's kiss, but-” She sighed, searching through the pages. “I’m afraid that won’t work this time around.”

“And how long do we have before it truly enacts?” David leaned over Belle's shoulder, as he searched the book with her. 

“Well, if I’m being honest I don’t quite know. But I think-” She sighed, standing upright. “Just as the book suggests, it’s going to grow as their…  _ love _ … grows.” She hesitantly finished the sentence, as she wasn’t 100% sure. 

“But haven’t we established that they are true loves? Hasn’t their love practically reached its limit?” Henry chimed in from the other side of the room. 

“Just because they shared a True loves kiss doesn’t necessarily mean that their  _ romantic  _ love has reached its peak.” Belle looked towards Henry. “I mean, your mothers have always had a special connection. But when your mother broke Regina from the sleeping curse-” She tilted her head, looking at David as she finished the sentence. “It could have just been.. Well, platonic.” 

“I grow to love your grandfather more and more everyday, Henry.” Snow looked from Henry then to David. “Even true love doesn’t have a limit. Maybe your mothers just have a few more obstacles to overcome before- you know.” She suggested.

Belle nodded her head in agreement, as she pointed out to David, and read to the rest, “The Curse Of True Love's kiss is enacted in such a way that-” She trailed off, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. “No, that’s not right.” She began to reread. 

“What? What isn’t right?” Snow snapped her head towards the other brunette woman. 

“It says..” She paused, to add weight to her statement. “The Curse Of True Love's Kiss can’t be broken, but can simply be avoided, as it is the reason the curse was enacted in the first place….” A null look grew on her face.

“Isn’t that what we want?” David took a glance at everyone in the room.

She cleared her throat, before shaking her head. “It’s not gonna matter what we want. It’s what Emma and Regina are going to want.” Pointing to a line in the book, she stepped back for David to observe. 

“Well,  _ Shit _ .” He sighed in defeat.

__**__**__**__

Emma walked up the steps to house 108 on Mifflin Street, Regina already standing at the door as she helped it stay propped open.

“You’re on time.” Regina pointed out, surprised. 

“Careful, I might purposefully show up late next time just to jinx it.” She winked, as she leaned in to softly press her lips against Regina’s cheeks, briefly. 

“One would think that with your blatant streak of being late you’d have to purposefully be doing it.” She grinned sarcastically, as she shut the door. 

Emma tilted her head, as she watched Regina walk past her with a determined sway of her hips. Following close behind, the blonde sniffed as she took in the deliciously mouthwatering smell of whatever appetizing food Regina cooked tonight. 

“This smells amazing” She mumbled more so under her breath, Regina hearing her anyways. 

“Well, I cooked plenty. Henry has the stomach of an ogre, so you shouldn’t worry about not getting seconds.” She looked pointedly at Emma, as the other woman began to rub her stomach, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Like Mother like Son.” Emma grinned, as she watched Regina move around her kitchen in expertly fashion. 

As she inspected the other woman, she began to notice little things. Like the way she would briefly pause as she thought out her next move, drumming her hands against her thighs. And how she would sniff whenever something wasn’t right with the food. And how she would cast the occasional glance in Emma’s direction, a blush adorning her cheeks when she noticed the blonde already staring back.

But one thing the blonde noticed was more so about herself. And it was the fact that around Regina, her libido was through the roof, and her heart not only felt a thousand times lighter, but a million times bigger. But all lust aside- Emma Swan was in love. And every second she stood here with the brunette, the more she could imagine a future with her. 

“I’m sorry I’m in-” Regina pointed at her apron, which was tied over a tight grey skirt and tucked in silk navy blue blouse. “This, when this is technically our first date.” She softly laughed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Which Emma’s fingers itched to do themselves. 

“You look fantastic. Besides-” Emma raised her arms as to indicate her wardrobe was no better, if anything it was worse. An army green long sleeve button up, which was tucked into dark and skin tight jeans. Her normal red leather adorning her shoulders. “I would have tried much harder if it weren’t for wanting to get here as quick as possible.” 

Regina inspected the blonde closely as she spoke, noticing that her freckles had begun to darken along her nose, only visible if stared at in the same way Regina was doing. Her hair had begun to regain it’s darker golden color, bouncing softly at the ends which reached mid back, And her eyes remained just as difficult to tear away from as ever. 

She looked like the old Emma. 

The Emma that first arrived at storybrooke.

_ Her  _ Emma.

“You’ve done just fine, I suppose.” Her eyes remained light, as she teased.

Regina politely asked Emma to grab their plates, as the brunette grabbed their dinner and moved to lead her to the dining room table. 

As they set it up together, Regina watched Emma’s every move as she began to think-  _ this is awfully domestic of us.  _

“I should have brought you flowers.” Emma broke the silence, startling the other woman.

“Oh- well you wouldn’t have to do that for me. I don’t expect you to go out of your way, I-” Emma cut her off. 

“No, I wanted to bring you flowers. I just-” Emma sighed. “The flower shop was closed.”

Regina smiled, lightly brushing a hand down Emma’s arm, before moving to sit in her chair, the other woman sitting directly on her right.

“Well, I’m sure I would have appreciated the roses.” Regina smiled, as Emma nodded her head bashfully.

“Actually-” The blonde placed a helping of Grilled chicken, broccoli and parmesan sauce on her plate. “I was going to get a white rose. Just one.” She looked at Regina, whose face was painted with slight confusion. 

“A rose, because they are your favorite. You love the simplicity.” She grinned as she watched a twinkle of something unfamiliar flash under Regina’s irises. “And white because, well...Swans” She blushed as she shrugged her shoulders, eyes becoming entranced with the food on her plate. “And only one, cause’...well.. I don’t really know why I-”

Regina’s mouth was pressed softly against hers, both of the brunette's hands cradling Emma’s face as the blonde remained sat, Regina now standing over her.

Emma’s hands reached to run themselves down Regina’s forearms, as she pushed forward, the pace of the kiss never straying from slow and solid, breaking for heads to tilt and tongues to only brush lips, but never enter the depths of each other's mouth.

When Emma slowly stood, Regina broke the kiss, as she pushed herself against the blonde, resting her forehead against forehead. When the two began to allow their state of haze to wash over, they slowly brought their lips back together, lazily making love with their mouths, some kisses almost unable to be counted as  _ kisses.  _

Hands brushed and traveled, squeezed and pulled, as heart rates began to fasten and lips began to swell. And before they knew it, Regina was walking them backwards towards the study, only ever unlocking her lips for oxygen before diving back in. 

When Emma felt the backs of her legs bump the sofa, she carefully sat, her hands reaching behind Regina’s thighs to ensure she arrived on her lap. As the brunette shuffled in closer, she brushed her nose against Emma’s, opening her eyes as she took in what could easily be considered a visual Heaven. 

Emma swan, with her pupils blown wide and cheeks flushed, lips swollen with a red tint, and hair disheveled from Regina’s hands that were now resting on her shoulders. When the blonde opened her eyes, she stared at Regina in a way that proved she could only be imagining the same thing.  _ And she was. _

Bringing their lips only an inch apart, Regina and Emma searched one another's eyes as the blonde whispered, “Is this okay?” 

Regina wordlessly nodded her head, as she pushed their foreheads together once more, beginning to push Emma’s jacket off of her shoulders. When she began to struggle, the two women started to giggle. 

“Here- let me” Regina leaned back, to provide Emma with enough room to pull the jacket off of her shoulders, which was then placed on the arm of the couch to their left. 

Sighing, the brunette moved back in, tilting Emma’s head upwards to swoop her into another sensual and passionate kiss, sounds of smacking echoing through the room as lips separated, then moved back together. When Emma blindlessly ran her hands to Regina’s rear, the brunette immediately pushed backwards and into them, signaling for Emma to continue. Both women were craving something, and each were the others remedy. 

Regina’s skirt had ridden up both of her thighs, her shirt half untucked and wrinkled, buttons still straining against a heaving chest, while Emma remained put together, aside from the smudges of lipstick and ruffled hair. 

Both women began to shake from such minimal contact, a heated area throbbing below bringing a certain and  _ strong  _ need to their bodys. 

Never ceasing their physical contact, Emma slowly and languidly moved her lips down Regina’s jaw and to her clavicle to lick, pull and suck until blood rushed to the surface. When the older woman released a shuddered sigh, her hips rocked against Emma’s pelvis, the blondes jeans providing a perfect friction that only spurred Regina on more, causing her hands to tug at Emma’s hair as she guided her mouth lower, suggesting a few different areas that needed tending to.

Getting the hint, Emma pulled away just far enough to unbutton the navy blue blouse, pushing it off of Regina’s shoulders as her mouth began to water at the sight of ample breast supported by black lace. As a provocative heat jumped to the surface, Emma began to grow impatient, pulling a strap of Regina’s bra along her bicep, leaving bites across her collarbone and shoulder, which were soothed by a quick press of heated tongue. 

The sounds Emma was pulling from Regina made her stomach plummet every 5 seconds or so, when the older woman would shakily exhale, or deeply hum, and occasionally gasp when Emma’s teeth sank in a bit deeper. 

When Emma pulled her mouth away, she looked up at a panting and flushed version of Regina, still looking every bit the Queen she was. With a soft smile, Emma reached to work her own buttons, an excitement growing in the older woman's eyes that made Emma want to giggle, but all amusement ceased when the other woman moved her hands behind her back, slowly unclipping the garment that stood between Emma and pert flesh. 

Emma’s hands stilled on the last couple of buttons of her own button up, as she took in perfectly rounded breast that held beautifully strained nipples, begging to be tended to. So Emma did, but not until Regina impatiently removed the blondes top. 

The second Emma’s tongue brushed Regina’s right nipple, the woman threw her head back and released a short moan, which spurred the blonde into action, making her suck and tug as she turned the nub a darker shade, then moving to the next.

“Emma” Regina breathlessly panted, one hand massaging Emma’s scalp while the other searched for support on the back of the couch.

When Emma pulled her head back to look into Regina’s eyes, she almost immediately regretted her decision to stop, as Regina made it clear she didn’t want her to. 

“No, don’t stop.” Regina quickly spoke, as she waved her hand, removing her skirt in the process. 

Startling Emma at the sudden lack of material, Regina watched as the woman took in her thighs, moving her eyes up to survey black lace. When Emma smiled and hummed, the older woman did as well, feeling a hand reach for her bottom, another for her breast, and a  _ very  _ passionate mouth moving to press itself against her own. 

As their tongues melded together in a soft battle, Regina gasped when she felt herself being lifted up and flipped, so that she lay on her back, with a hot Emma swan between her legs. 

When Emma made the move to subconsciously grind herself against Regina, unbeknownst to her, was her jeans that had bunched up just enough to provide stiff material, and more stimulation for the writhing brunette beneath her. 

When Emma noticed what was spurring on the other woman, she sighed softly as she reached to lovingly place one of her hands in both of Regina’s, which rested above the woman's head, while one forearm remained on the side of the older woman's head, propping herself up. Moving her hips in a steady rhythm, Emma just  _ watched  _ as Regina’s face contorted into one of pleasure, her eyes falling shut and eyebrows flinching with every tantalizingly slow thrust of Emma’s hips. 

When Emma made her move to Regina’s neck again, it wasn’t long until she felt Regina’s body go rigid, a sharp gasp followed by a soft moan signalling her release. Her back arched up as her own torso brushed Emma’s, heated skin causing the blonde to gasp, as she pressed herself harder against the writhing woman beneath her. 

When Regina came down from her high, Emma slowly lowered herself completely flush against her, peppering small kisses along her jaw, before releasing the older woman's hands and settling herself on her chest. 

“That okay?” Emma mumbled against Regina’s breast. 

Her breathing still returning to normal, Regina’s arms came to wrap around Emma, one hand lazily tracing patterns along the blondes lower back. “More than” She sighed happily. 

And it really was  _ more than.  _

Emma had hardly touched her, for god sake. 

The two women lay there, neither one caring about being indecent as their son would have been home long ago, if he had any intention of coming home tonight. 

“I want to-” Regina began to move her torso, her fingers squeezing Emma’s sides causing a childish laugh to fall from the blondes mouth. 

“You want to..?” When the laughter died down, Emma lifted her head to look into Regina’s eyes, a little taken back by the closeness, but soon adjusting. 

“I’ve never-” Regina looked towards the ceiling sheepishly. “I’ve never been with a woman before. Or-” She sighed, looking back at Emma. “I’ve been with a woman. But I’ve never-” 

“Oh.” Emma smiled lovingly, as she watched a very prominent blush rise on Regina’s cheeks. “Well, we have all the time in the world.” She placed a chaste kiss to the corner of the brunette's mouth, before dropping her head back down, nuzzling her neck. 

A sigh and a content hum fell past Regina's lips, one hand fiddling with strands of Emma’s hair. “You know, years ago if someone told me I would have ended up here in your arms.. Post coitally… I’d probably fireball them to incarceration.”

“Really?” Emma spoke into the other woman's neck, goosebumps flooding the soft skin. “I always thought we had a certain.. Chemistry.” 

“Oh, I don’t disagree. I just mean-” She sighed, transitioning into a laugh. “Hate sex seemed more appropriate at the time, and it didn’t exactly end with us cuddling.” She raised a brow.

Lifting her head abruptly, Emma looked at Regina with amusement. “You imagined..  _ Hate sex?  _ Be- between us?” She shook her head, looking at a spot on the sofa as the thought sunk in. 

“Is that so hard to believe?” Regina asked, watching as thoughts slid back and forth across Emma’s face. 

“I-” She tilted her head, looking at Regina again. “No? I mean…” She laughed, placing her head bashfully back down on the other woman's chest. “I totally imagined scenarios for sure, I just…totally never realized it was  _ hate sex _ that I was imagining until now.” 

“Well don’t worry, Dear. I’m sure you will do something one of these days that sets me off, and I will gladly take it out on you in the form of... _ hate sex.” _ Regina suggested, teasingly. 

Emma grinned mischievously. “ _ So _ , new question… what  _ really  _ sets you off?” She wriggled her eyebrows, as Regina swatted her shoulder. 

Within minutes, the two drifted off to sleep.

_ So much for dinner.  _

__**__**__**__

It was nearing 3:00 am when everyone in the library began to slump, as they were still nose deep in books filled with a large variety of spells, curses, potions and remedies. 

“I’m not seeing anything, and I’m pretty positive that I have been through each and every one of these books by now.” Belle sighed, beginning to stack them back together. 

“Bu- wait!” Henry shook his head with sleep, after abruptly moving towards Belle. “Maybe we missed something. These books are huge and I really think-”

“Henry, we didn’t miss  _ anything. _ ” Belle rubbed his shoulder, as she continued. “We already ruled out every possible fix, and it all just leads us back to  _ exactly  _ what the curse says-” She closed her eyes as she punctuated on every word. “It just can’t be broken, Henry.” 

“I don’t want to believe that.” Snow pitched in, as her shoulders slumped. 

David sighed, walking towards his wife. “None of us  _ want  _ to believe it, Snow. But maybe- I think she’s right.”

“So, what?” Snow, huffed. “Are we just going to rip the best thing for Emma away from her? After she just got it? There is  _ always  _ another way.” With a determined shake of her head, she looked at Belle. “I want us back here tomorrow. More research- more-”

“Snow.” David spoke, aggravated as the rest. “You can’t-”

Belle chimed in, with an approving nod. “No, she’s right. We can’t give up. What would that make us?” she glanced at Henry. “We will figure this out, no matter how long it takes.” 

A disappointing silence filled the room, as the sound of books stacking echoed, Snow and David standing to push their chairs in. 

“What about The blue Fairy?” Henry broke the silence. 

“Mother superior?” Snow looked at him, tilting her head. 

“Well yeah, aside from Grandpa and my Mom, she’s got to be the most educated when it comes to magic!” A flash of hope appeared behind his sleepy eyes.

David placed his hand on Henry’s back, a soft nudge to move the boy along. “We will speak to her tomorrow, then.” He sighed, holding the door open for His wife. 

As they made their way out, Belle stood in the middle of the library, hands on her hips and lip pulled between her teeth. 

She sighed, using one hand to rub her forehead, as she spoke to herself quietly. 

“If Regina and Emma remain together, all of Story Brooke falls apart.” She sighed, dropping her head at the knowledge only  _ she  _ knew. “And even worse for them, Henry-” She stopped her own words, as the thought echoed in her brain, sending a painful shiver down her spine. 

There was no way in _ hell _ Belle was going to put down a single book tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm like teasing you with this whole "The Curse Of True Loves Kiss" deal, but it's about to get crazy. I just hope none of my readers have abandoned me yet!


	13. Girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No-” Regina stepped forward a day late, dollar short, taking in the absence of the blonde. 
> 
> Feeling her chest tighten, her ears adjusted when David spoke. “That wasn’t fair of you, Regina.”
> 
> No. It wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending gets really angsty. 
> 
> This isn't my favorite chapter, but we diddddd introduce a new character. Which is always fun. 
> 
> Feedback is my main concern, tbh. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“So what is your go to solution when there isn’t a solution? What are you gonna do? What are  _ WE  _ gonna do? Because- sitting back and watching is apparently  _ never _ an answer. Especially when you’re supposed to be living-”  _ In fairytale land.  _ Henry huffed before he could finish his sentence, frustration, anger, and guilt rising to the surface. “Yet, we’ve established that,  _ again, _ there is  _ nothing  _ we can do whether we want to or not.” 

\---------------------------------------------

  
  


“Are you okay?” Snow rushed towards Henry, who was placing his cereal bowl in the sink, when he abruptly dropped it, glass shattering as he grabbed his chest. 

“I-I’m fine.” He smiled, turning as he was hunched over. “Bad indigestion. Mom gets it all the time.” Grunting, he began to stand upright. 

“Regina?” She rubbed his back, as she imagined his mother dealing with heartburn. 

“Other one.” She nodded her head in acknowledgement. 

As the chest pain was wearing off, he made his way around the kitchen counter, Snow still watching his every move. 

“You sure you’re okay?” She tilted her head, sighing.

With a huff and a raised eyebrow, he looked over his shoulder from the staircase. 

“Yes,  _ Grandma.”  _ Teasing, he ran up towards the loft. 

Not thinking much of it, because she was.. _ Well- _ Snow White, She brushed it off, only getting the smallest feeling in her gut that something was off.

_ You should always trust your gut. _

__**__**__**__

When Emma Swan’s eyes opened for the first time that morning, she found herself alone on the couch in Regina’s study. Sighing at the grim taste in her mouth, she began to push herself up with her arms, her hair a wild but beautiful mess, though she would say otherwise. 

When she took a look around the room, she noticed Regina’s dumped garments from last night were no longer there, and Emma’s green blouse had been left alone. The blonde woman took in her wardrobe, which was a plain black push up, accompanied by jeans and socks. But, though she knew she needed to get decent, she couldn’t find it within herself to move, for an unsettling feeling was coiling in the confines of her stomach. 

Emma spent most of her life being the _ sleep and leave before they wake up _ type woman. But never would she have imagined it would hurt so much to be on the receiving end. And while she knows deep down her emotions might be a little dramatic, and that both women have important jobs that you can’t just take a break from, she feels her heart drop in the slightest. Maybe Regina regretted it last night.. Or maybe it was too soon.  _ It was probably too soon,  _ she thinks. 

Deciding she can’t sit there much longer, she leans over as she stands from the couch to snatch up her green blouse and sling her arms through the sleeves, not bothering with the buttons. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly slides her feet across the hardwood floor, moving towards the kitchen where she had previously kicked her shoes off.

As she began to approach her point of destination, the sound of dishes and running water caused a flood of relief to wash over her. 

_ She didn’t leave me. _

Standing in the entryway of the kitchen, Emma leaned her shoulder against the side board, watching as Regina casually rinsed and placed dishes in their rack to dry. Emma felt the sleep that hadn’t yet left her eyes when she reached to rub it, happily sighing as she dropped her hand and felt her heart smile at the image in front of her. 

Emma Swan felt a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. But it was almost this- bundle of feelings which consisted of so many you couldn’t name. There was a feeling of being at ease, but it was in all aspects of her, like her bones, muscles, brain and  _ heart.  _ The same went for the soothing blush and heart warming squeezing that came to her in a throbbing flood that matched and stayed in sync with every heartbeat. 

In other words, she was  _ in love.  _

The funny thing is, she knew she was in love before ever breaking the sleeping curse with true love's kiss… which for her is just-  _ confirmation.  _ But now that she finds herself around the woman, feelings reciprocated and heart happy, she’s almost afraid of the term. 

_ Because everyone she’s ever loved is dead,  _ _ and _ _ they died in her arms.  _

A downcast look fell upon Emma’s face in the midst of the joyous love she was once portraying, when Regina turned off the water and flicked her hands in the sink to turn around. 

With a startled jump, Regina placed her hand on her chest, a smile glowing on her lips. “You scared me.” She softly stated, as she looked down at her hands and rubbed them dry on her skirt. 

When Regina looked back up at Emma, she noticed the sorrow in her eyes. “Hey, you.” It was more of a  _ What’s wrong?  _ Than it was an actual greeting, and Emma understood immediately. 

Clearing her throat, the blonde blushed as she hadn’t realized her thoughts and emotions were so evident. “I just don’t like waking up alone.” She whispered, before looking at Regina, who held an apologetic look in her eyes. 

The older woman moved to wrap herself around Emma, releasing a heavy sigh before she spoke. “I’m sorry.” And she repeated it with every stroke across Emma’s back.

Emma noticed almost immediately that though Regina was being apologetic, she had a certain childish energy about her, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t love it. Therefore she wasn’t going to point it out, because normally that would cause Regina to sweep it under a rug.

“Ts’ okay.” Emma burrowed her face in Regina’s neck, lightning exhaling which gauged a reaction from Regina. 

“That tickles, Em-ma.” She laughed, causing Emma to purposely blow air up and down her neck.

Regina continued to giggle, as Emma wrapped her strong arms around the woman's torso to prevent her from escaping. “Nuh uh.” The blonde tightened her grip, Regina losing the balance from beneath her as she began to release booming laughs. 

“Emma!” Regina’s voice was likely an octave or two higher than normal, as the woman shrieked. 

As Emma slowly began to soften her attack on the other woman's neck, her demeanor softened as well, as she slowly encased the other woman in a proper embrace. “Hmm?” She mumbled, when she lastly placed an eye roll of a kiss under the other woman's jaw, bringing her to relax.

Sighing with a smile, Regina burrowed further into the blonde. “I like this”

“Being childish adults?” Emma slowly retracted her arms, when Regina pouted and pulled them back around her abruptly, bringing them eye to eye as Emma continued to giggle at her antics. 

Regina bit her lip in a smile as she nodded her head in denial, then answering. “Being with you.”

Emma observed the other woman’s chocolate eyes, as she watched what she could only imagine being a young Regina travel to the surface. Innocent, pure, and in love. 

“Well-” Emma sighed, squeezing Regina’s hips. “I like it more.” She pressed a light kiss against soft lips, moving backwards to retract when Regina’s lips followed. 

“Impossible.” It was near a whisper when Regina said it, but Emma still managed to hear her.

“Yeah?” Emma released her hold, reaching for Regina’s hands with a heart shattering grin. 

Regina nodded her head. “Yes.” A beat. “Now hold me again.” She comically yet seriously demanded. 

Emma’s eyes could have easily bulged out of her head. Hearing the ex Evil Queen ask to be held? And- under these circumstances?

_ Too good to be true. _

__**__**__**__

Belle had officially been spending the majority of her time at the library instead of Gold’s shop, which she left locked and closed until further notice. Having not found anything new to look into regarding the curse, she plopped down at the chair in the center of the room, huffing in defeat. 

“Rumple, I-” She began to speak into nothingness, rubbing her forehead which was slightly sweaty from the amount of books she had been lifting. “I know you can’t hear me, but- if by some chance you can….I just want to say…” She groaned, throwing her hands into the air exasperatedly. “ _ WHY?” _

Sinking lower into her seat, she angrily shoved a book across the table, watching as it began to make it’s descent to the floor. 

But, when Belle didn’t hear the sound of the book hitting the hard floor, she stood up out of curiosity, peeking to find that the book was floating in mid air. Observing it closely, she watched as the book began to float towards the center of the table, falling with a loud thud, then lying open. 

She glanced multiple times around the library with sudden fear and terror, shakily asking “Rumple?”. When she looked back towards the book, she watched as several pages began to swoosh to one side, leaving a blank page that shined white to draw Belle's attention. 

Taking timid steps forward, her breath hitched as shining bright light diminished, and something etched itself across the blank page, in what appeared to be the most eloquent of writing.

The words began to make sense, as sentences came together, and statements were made clear. When the ink stopped appearing, she moved her eyes to the beginning of the page, slowly rereading every word.

Bringing a shaking hand to her mouth, her stomach plummeted with fear. Confusion, and a simple squeeze made itself known, as she took in every word. 

One thing was made  _ abundantly _ clear.

_ Rumple didn’t cast this curse. _

__**__**__**__

Henry walked briskly across the street, making his way from Granny’s to the library, as his mothers and the curse were the only thing on his mind these past few days. 

Belle had made it crystal clear that while there wasn’t a single fix for the curse in sight, quitting was never an option. His mothers deserved complete effort and devotion, because he knew they would do the exact same for him. 

Not only that, but Storybrooke also needed him. Because the predicament they’ve been put in..well… as far as he understands, any  _ minute  _ now something could happen. His mothers have been inseparable since everything went down, but- he hopes he won’t have to pull out his last card in order to separate his mothers. Because if it comes to it, He might end up bringing Robin hood back. 

Waving at a few passing by people, Henry arrived at the door of the library, reaching to pull it open with his left hand as his right hand was holding his backpack and the storybook. 

When the door wouldn’t open, he paused in confusion, taking a step forward to peek through glass. Seeing nothing but darkness, he gave the door another pull. When it didn’t budge, he took a large step back, huffing as he reached to grab his phone from his back pocket. 

It was dead. 

He angrily pinched out, “Great.”, before looking around frantically for someone approachable, and making his way towards them.

“Hey! Can I use your-” He trailed off, watching them with confusion as they roughly knocked his shoulder while passing by, ignoring him all together. 

Henry stood there flabbergasted, because the only person in Story Brooke considered remotely rude would be Leroy. 

Sighing, he decided he’d march to Gold’s shop instead. Maybe Belle was there. 

__**__**__**__

  
  


“What do you mean _ Rumple _ didn’t cast the curse?” Snow bit through the phone from her apartment, supporting Neal on her hip, as a demented Belle spoke quickly on the other end. 

“I’m telling you! It just- popped up out of  _ nowhere _ and I think this might really help support us in finding an answer!” After she explained to Snow about the incident with the book, she had hurriedly attempted to say that there was factual proof that Rumplestilskin didn’t cast this curse. Here they were.

“But where is this.. _ proof-  _ that rumple didn’t cast the curse?” Snow sighed, walking lazily around her apartment. 

On the other end of the phone, Belle pulled the book back towards her to reread the words that had magically appeared the night before. Her eyes skimming the page, she abruptly pointed a finger at the line that supported the question, then speaking. 

“It says,  _ The best of luck to you and my dearest Rumple. _ ” Belle spoke, before allowing Snow to pitch in. “And that’s not  _ all  _ it says. I think there are a few...clues but maybe I’m-” Sighing, she readjusted the phone to her ear. “Maybe I’m just reading a bit too much into it.”

“Well what does it say?” Snow queried, putting the phone on speaker to set it down on her dining room table.

  
  


“It says-  _ I wonder, who would have cast such a horrendous curse? Pity. I do wish the best of luck to you and my dearest Rumple. You’ll both definitely be needing it.  _

_ Love, _

_ Me and My hearts.” _

Belle finished with a sigh, when Snow chimed in. 

“Wait-, who signed it?” She tilted her head, waiting on Belle's response. 

“Me and..My hearts?” She furrowed her eyebrows at what could only be a grammatical mistake.

“Plural? The heart part is- it’s plural?” Snow shook her head in denial and disbelief, though no one could see but her babbling son. 

“Yes.” Belle stated, brain racking up with possible theories, landing on an answer before disregarding it completely. 

“And It- wait a minute” She paused, realizing only more as the words began to sink in, fear etching itself across her face almost inevitably. “It says  _ My  _ dearest Rumple... not- yours?” She asked Belle, an idea of who was guilty arriving on the tip of her tongue. 

_ I wonder _

_ My dearest Rumple _

_ Me and My hearts _

_ oh. _

“Yes, I- don’t know why but I'm assuming they were once close.” She tilted her head, observing the writing again. “Do you have an Idea of who it is?” When static silence filled the library, she opened her mouth to speak again, when Snow beat her to it.

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

__**__**__**__

Emma stood, her knees nearly touching the edge of Regina’s couch, who was currently squeezing the blonde around the waist in hopes she wouldn’t leave.

“I don’t want you to leave yet.” Regina wrinkled her eyebrows, squinting in concentration, before looking up at Emma. “Wait, why are you leaving?” 

Emma widened her eyes in amusement, totally contemplating on reading up on a list of potions that make people clingy, just in case Regina  _ accidentally  _ took one. 

One thing was for sure though, Emma didn’t have to worry about Regina having regrets about the night before. Because it seems that when Regina Mills is given an orgasm, it wipes a century's worth of tension away, removing all remnants of the Evil Queen in the process. 

It also unlocks a very clingy and childish side of her, and Emma  _ kinda-  _

Okay, she  _ really  _ loves it. 

“I have to leave, Regina-” Emma teased, grabbing the arms around her waist. “because I have this hard ass boss who stayed on my tail for a year, just to make sure I did the job right. Plus like- all joking aside I haven’t heard from our son and it’s beginning to bother me.” She raised her eyebrows, as she watched Regina contemplate and agree on Emma’s words. 

“You’re right, but I’m-” Regina abruptly cut herself off, reluctantly pulling her arms away with a blush from Emma who began to pry for an answer. 

“Oh no you don’t.” Emma slowly slid into Regina’s lap, the other woman bracing her arms at her sides, fist in the couch, as she stared at Emma wide eyed. “You have to tell me.” Emma sighed.

“Actually, I don’t.” Regina searched Emma’s eyes before Huffing in annoyance. “Have to tell you, I mean.” Regina raised an eyebrow as she argued. “And why are you sitting on me like some child” She observed the blonde's position. 

“I- what?” Emma’s eyes grew, as she began to giggle in disbelief. “Oh my gosh- says the woman who was practically grinding on  _ my  _ lap last night,  _ AND  _ who was also just attached to my hips like a koala bear just a second ago.” Laughter dying down, Emma tilted her head with worry for the woman across from her. “What’s really bothering you?”

“I don’t-” Regina opened and closed her mouth, then her eyes as she sighed and began to speak clearly. “I don’t know how to use my words, I just- I’m not used to it, I suppose.” 

When Emma acknowledged the amount of inspection taking place behind Regina’s eyes, she slowly slid off of Regina and to the right, sitting while both legs remained across the other woman's lap. 

“Try.” Emma ran a soothing hand down Regina’s arm, when the other woman snapped her head towards the blonde and smiled timidly. 

“This is all new and I- I feel so.. _ happy.  _ And I don’t know if I deserve that. But recently I’ve decided to let myself bask in it, and I just feel so attached to you now. Because you’re the first person to give me so much happiness in a very long time. Which is why I-” She sighed, grabbing Emma’s hand and looking at it. “It’s why I don’t want you to leave. Which I know that we will have to eventually. I just don’t want life or- some dumb giant or over sized snowman to get in the way of that.” 

Emma smiled, sinking further into the couch as the brunette wasn’t finished. 

“I say that, to say this-” She looked at Emma, squinting her eyes. “I am the worst person when it comes to communication. As you have obviously learned.” She smiled knowingly, before continuing. “So I- I don’t know what we are but I do know that I like it. And I’m going to try and communicate for you,  _ for us _ , but I need you to give just as much as myself.”

Emma knew what Regina was looking for. Because Emma had been in search of it her whole life. And just this morning, she had felt the same way towards Regina. 

Emma slowly and carefully swung her legs off of the woman's lap, bringing them to curl beneath her as she remained facing Regina. “I want you. Just- you know...clarifying.” She smiled, as Regina’s eyes swelled with emotions. “And I want  _ only  _ you. And I want to be the only person you want, too.” Emma tilted her head, resting it against her palm which was propped up by her elbow. “Because you make me-” 

At Emma’s break, Regina straightened her back and turned towards her, holding Emma’s free hand in her own, as she waited patiently for words to come back. 

After a small moment of silence, Emma  _ did  _ speak. But it wasn’t what Regina expected.

“Will you be my girlfriend?.” She tilted her head almost comically, quirking her lips to one side as a dimple arose to the surface of her cheek. 

Regina smiled, the smallest crinkles forming around her eyes as a perfect bite became exposed. 

  
  


__**__**__**__

Placing the last book back on it’s shelf, Belle hummed to herself as she began to collect her things and draw the blinds of the library. She had spent the last of her hours and energy on reading, still finding nothing but back up potions that might postpone the curse, but with each usage it would postpone for a shorter amount of time. 

Arriving at the exit, Belle pushed open the door, before it abruptly slammed itself shut again. 

“Was I too obvious?” The voice sent shivers down Belles spine, the room coated head to toe in an icy uncomfortable presence. “Was it the innuendos?” The woman snapped her fingers in punctuation. “God, I really do love those. So fun.” 

When Belle realized she wasn’t likely escaping, she turned around to face the woman who’s name refused to fall off of her tongue, too sour of memories riddling themselves with it.

A sigh. “Or was it just too easy all together? Preventing Regina from finding love. Or well- Not so much preventing it...more like cursing it.” The sound of heels clicked against cold tile, Belle inspecting the woman who was steadily approaching her. “I always did tell her. Love is weakness.”

Exhaling shakily, Belle spoke softly. “I thought you were dead.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Cora gave a distrustful grin. “I lived my whole life without a heart, yet these stupideous people think i’d die without it? It’s a shame, really.” She clasped her hands together, rolling her eyes in displeasure. “I really planned on remaining hidden until the destruction took place, but-” She made a hissing sound with her teeth. “It seems I needed to give it a little shove.” 

Belle watched as the other woman made her move for the clock tower, the book worm still standing stoic. 

When Cora pressed the button to the elevator, she turned back to look at the bell. “Oh, and you should probably tell Regina and the Savior that their love won't last very long, because that only means the lives of- well, everyone will be in danger.” With a shrug, she turned away.

“Wait!” Belle took a large step forward, a hand reaching out as to stop the older woman. Once she knew she caught Cora’s attention, she gulped. 

“What about Henry?” Belle tilted her head in worry and question. “What happens with him?”

“Oh dear, it seems you’re questioning the curse itself. My my, and I thought you were the smart one around here.” She eyed Belle up and down, before continuing. 

“With every heart wrenching pain the women cause each other, their son will endure it as well. Simple.” She tilted her head, raising a hand. “ _ Oh _ \- and he might Die. But that’s completely up to them.”

She took a step into the elevator, turning to hold chilling eye contact with Belle. 

“So- either way… We are all in trouble?” Belle choked on air, as she shook her head in denial. 

Cora laughed darkly, as she smiled and gave an unsympathetic pout. “If only my daughter would have listened to me in the first place, you wouldn’t all be here.”

And the elevator closed, lifting Cora to the clocktower. 

__**__**__**__

“So, she wasn’t at the library, or Gold’s shop? Did you check the diner?” David placed his hands on his hips, as he watched Henry pace around Snow’s apartment, his grandmother frozen in fear at the end of the dining room table. 

“That’s where I started.” The boy huffed, when almost inevitably his cell phone started ringing. 

He briskly walked towards the kitchen counter where it had been plugged in, as he read the contact to his grandparents. “It’s ma!” 

He answered, putting her on speaking and sitting the phone down. 

Before he could fit in a greeting, Emma began rambling in a hectic manner. 

“Henry? Where are you? Are you safe?” It sounded like his mother was out of breath as she briskly spoke into the phone, worry evident in her voice. 

“I’m with Grandma and Grandpa. Why? Is something wrong?” He backed up a couple of steps, looking to his left at his grandparents who lifted their head at the woman's voice. 

“Something has disturbed Storybrooke. Stay where you are, okay? Don’t go anywhere, do you understand me?” And as if on cue, Henry heard his other mother on the opposite end call for Emma’s help with lord only knows, a sound of panic sounding through the phone. 

“Wait- what is it!?” When he couldn’t make out the words of his mother’s, he shook his head speaking over a bad connection. “Be careful!” And then the line cut off. 

Henry ran up to his phone, casting quick glances between it and his grandparents. “I’m looking for her location! It will tell me where she is!”

“I’ll get my Gun.” David quickly made his move towards the dresser beside his shared bed, when Snow abruptly stood. 

“This is ridiculous, David. We have to tell them why this is happening!” She all but yelled, causing a sleeping Neal to rise from his sleep with loud cries. 

“For all they know it’s another week in story brooke. It was expected, Snow. We will handle it like we always do.” He walked back into the center of the apartment, giving a subtle nod to Henry as to question the location. 

“The Sematary!” The boy looked at his phone desperately. “Her icon isn’t moving!” He whined, looking from grandparent to grandparent. 

And like a bomb went off, David was practically running for the door, an uncalm Snow behind him.

“If you see Cora, don’t even engage in-” Snow grabbed his bicep, turning him to glare at his eyes in seriousness. 

He bit his teeth together, his jaw clicking in the process. “I know. I’ll be back. And I’ll be back  _ safe.” _ He turned away from the both of them, all but slamming the door as he left. 

When the apartment gew silent, a loud groan came from behind Snow, as Henry doubled over in pain. 

“Henry!?”

__**__**__**__

Emma and Regina had been making their way to the town hall, Emma whining and promising the other woman that she could harmlessly poof herself to the station despite her many failed attempts, when they noticed a large winged flying figure swooping down right towards them, wing span the size of Regina’s Mercedes in double. 

After Regina quickly and smartly shielded her vehicle with her magic, a cool shield of light encasing the outside of her car, both women soon found themselves chasing after the winged creature, Evil Queen and Savior duo back in place. 

They were running towards Regina’s vault, taking turns in blasting magic, when suddenly like the drop of a hat the creature breathed some type of purple fire in Regina’s direction. Emma, being the wondrous savior, but mainly a woman  _ in love, _ she quickly used a spell Regina had once taught her, never realising it had become engraved in her brain in the first place. She swapped their positions, almost immediately taking the blow that felt like burning and freezing all at once, as it spread from her lower back and up into her eye sockets which instinctually began to water. 

When darkness overtook her vision, Emma collapsed to the ground unconscious, rolling onto one side, an arm limp across her face. 

“Emma!?” At first Regina had assumed she just tripped, but when she noticed zero movement, and the fact that their positions had changed, she halted in her tracks, a piece of her heart climbing up her throat. 

As Regina summoned a fireball, when saved by the bell she heard multiple gun shots blasted off into the distance, which happened to be directly at the monster that was attempting at tearing the two women apart. 

David having bought the brunette some time, she briskly ran towards Emma, dropping to her knees and immediately turning back towards the loud and thunderous noises that were taking place. 

Using her brain, Regina summoned a plan. 

“Hey!” She waved her hands for both David and the creature's attention, almost grinning when it’s deathly eyes made eye contact with hers, if not for the adrenaline that flooded her veins every time something like this happened. 

“Regina! What are you doing?!” David cautiously threw his hands up when the edge of its wing came near to clipping him when it spun towards Regina.

“Something I forgot I could do!” And with little patience, she waited before the flying animal came at least 3 feet away, before waving her hand and watching as it disappeared. 

She had sent it to the town line. 

With a breath of relief, she turned back towards Emma, gripping the woman's shoulders as though her life depended on it, her fingertips throbbing as her heartbeat was suddenly everywhere.

_ She was so concerned with someone else's life for once, she was unaware of what to do with the feeling it brought to her body. _

“Emma!?” David hurriedly dropped to his knees by his daughter, whose hands were closing and opening, one finally reaching to grasp her head as a groan fell from her mouth. 

Regina was livid with fright, her chest having felt not only on fire but near death, and she almost wanted to laugh because the many times she had watched Emma Swan get tossed around had never brought such a choking feeling to her senses. 

“God this hurts... I-” The blonde began to sit up, when she was roughly pushed back down. 

“You- You-” Regina tumbled over her words, before throwing her hands in the air exasperatedly. “You insipid  _ blonde _ !” She choked out angrily, looking at Emma who flinched on every word.

“Hey! That comment is so...color _ ist _ of you.” Emma weakly whined, as she rubbed the backs of her palms against her eyelids. 

David began to help Emma sit up, when Regina continued to yell in frustration. “No! Now is not the time for your absurd jokes, Emma! What the  _ hell  _ is wrong with you?” Regina watched as her fury only grew, the blonde's eyes becoming empty with every bite of Regina’s words. “Are you an idiot?!” It was rhetorical, to Regina. 

“I just saved you from flying purple shit! Why can’t you just be grateful!?” Confusion and betrayal invaded Emma’s senses, as she turned away from Regina and towards her father, giving him a subtle nod that she would be fine. 

“Because all you ever do is think about yourself!” Regina angrily stood to her feet, huffing, her forehead vein becoming visible. 

David chimed in, when he noticed how serious this argument was getting. “Regina, I think-”

“No, Dad. Let her say whatever the hell she wants.” Emma finally stood, refusing to acknowledge the outstretched hand from her father, as she was too upset and had too much self pride.

Looking at the brunette, Emma squinted her eyes in hurt. “If all I ever do is think about myself, then why the  _ hell  _ did I just put my own life on the line  _ for you? _ ” It was low, quiet, but spoken with venom as Emma came to terms with what Regina’s point was. 

Regina took a step forward, raising her hands to apostrophize her every word. “You are  _ selfish,  _ thinking you can just swoop in and be the savior, when it was clearly under control!” Regina’s nostrils flared, as she watched Emma’s chest deflate. “What about Henry, Emma!? What about-” 

“What about Henry!? So what, are you suddenly not _enough_ for him? Because you’re his mother, too, Regina. And why am I selfish for putting myself in danger? Isn’t that supposed to be _selfless_?” Emma’s voice rose with every word, as she tilted her head in accentuation. “Also, you didn’t have _shit_ under control! You didn’t even see it coming!” Her eyes bulged with anger, her father escaping the conversation to provide privacy. 

“I would have been  _ fine _ ! I didn’t need you to save me, Emma!” Regina felt it coming. She felt all of her fury, which was spurred on by her  _ fear _ , come rushing to the surface, bringing hateful words right along with it. And she knew as soon as they left her mouth, that she would forever regret them. 

“No wonder your parents prioritize Neal! For god sake Emma, all you ever want is to be the center of attention! Maybe we’ve all had enough of the savior saving people!” 

Silence. 

And like the drop of a hat, all of the anger evaporated from Regina, every piece of her body beginning to clench in agony, as she watched tears come to play along the brims of Emma’s eyes. 

When Emma looked away from Regina and to the ground, she knew she had messed up. She knew she had messed up, when a single tear fell directly from Emma’s eye and to the damp grass when the blonde dropped her head to hide her eyes. 

Emma cleared her throat, which didn’t soothe the burn and ache that twisted and pulled inside of it. “Shoulda’ just said so.” She whispered, before waving her hands in the air, diminishing in a vapor of white. 

“No-” Regina stepped forward a day late, dollar short, taking in the absence of the blonde. 

Feeling her chest tighten, her ears adjusted when David spoke. “That wasn’t fair of you, Regina.”

_ No. It wasn’t. _

__**__**__**__

Snow stood over Henry, who had broken out into a sweat while lying in bed, occasionally gasping for air when the squeeze on his chest became too much to handle.

“I feel-” Henry shivered, a pain shooting up towards his throat, almost making it impossible to swallow. “I’m feeling  _ emotions _ and I don’t know  _ why _ .” As the pain temporarily eased off, he dropped his head to the side to look at Snow. “I feel like…. My heart is being physically broken. Is this heartburn? Because-” A grunt. “Ma is my superhero.”

Snow shook her head, before placing the back of her hand against his forehead. “No fever..” She mumbled under her breath, as she turned around to reach for her cell. “What kind of emotions?”

Henry stayed silent as he watched Snow open her cell phone, searching for David’s contact information. When she landed on the one she was interested in, she looked back at Henry, placing a hand on top of his. 

He gulped, then released a small shimper which was supposed to be a sigh. “I feel like the thing I love most has been ripped away from me. Like I-” He shook his head a bit too quickly. “I feel remorse and guilt, mixed with a lot of... _ sadness. _ ” When he finished, Snow squeezed his hand tightly, pressing the contact name on her phone. 

“I don’t think it’s heartburn, Henry.”

__**__**__**__

David watched from a distance as Regina slowly marched her way to her vault, fingers brushing through her hair every few seconds, which he had early on noticed to be one of her tells. A tell that she was on the verge of crying her heart out. 

With a sigh, David dropped his head, feeling disappointment for both women, including an array of emotions for many other reasons. His daughter was in love with someone. And she couldn’t be with her or this would continue, which most definitely is going to get old soon. 

As he made his way back to his pickup truck, he rubbed sweat off of his forehead using his arm, when his phone began to ring in his back pocket. He knew it was Snow without even checking. 

“Hey, I’m alright.” He hurriedly assured her, but her next words were of the unexpected. 

“Henry isn’t.” She sighed on the other end, faint grunts from a young boy echoing through the room. 

“What? What happened to him? Are you and Neal alright?” He got into his truck and slammed the door, cranking it as soon as he could place the keys into the engine. 

“Neal and I are fine, David. But I- almost as soon as you left, Henry was doubled over in pains. He said they were coming from his chest and they were similar to heartburn but then they gradually got worse, and now he is describing the pains to feel like...heartbreak?” She sighed as David was left quiet contemplating an answer or solution. “It’s really weird. I don’t know anymore. If this has something to do with the curse then I’m-”

“Snow, just breathe for a second, honey.” he listed as she sighed on the other end, before taking the silence as an opportunity to speak again. “It’s weird though, Emma and Regina just got in one hell of an argument.” He almost felt the way Snow stiffened. 

“Well, are they okay?” She watched Henry as he had stilled, a pained expression still painting his face. 

“No, I don’t think so. Emma disappeared and Regina was headed for her vault last I saw her.” He sighed, rounding his way near the apartment. “Listen, I’m gonna be in soon and we can discuss this more, okay? I’ll see you soon.”

A sigh, and then static. 

“Okay.”

__**__**__**__

Regina sat on the last two steps of her vault, watching as the fog gathered around the grave stones, which would normally make a person feel uncomfortable or haunted, but she was too busy struggling with separate emotions to even notice. 

She was currently having an inner battle with turmoil, destruction eating at all of her insides. 

Regina had promised herself the night she had confessed feelings to Emma that she would never allow herself to witness a heartache from the blonde that may be caused by herself. But she just did. 

Regina stood, and watched as every emotion surfaced, then tumbled away in the eyes of her lover. And that  _ alone  _ felt like a knife to her gut, and possibly several. All of Regina’s current emotions were negative, and they were all aimed towards herself. She hated herself just like she did when she was the Evil Queen, because what she just did felt so much worse. It was the epitome of taking lives over a span of 10 years or so, bundled all into one. The regret, guilt, turmoil and self hate that continued to rack up into a large stack that only fell and then restarted, some new reason, or new emotion getting added to the pile of self destruction. 

And Regina’s newest word of self destruction, was  _ foolish.  _ Because she should be searching for Emma. She should be looking for her, and she should be on her knees pleading. 

_ A Queen never kneels for anyone. Not even her own reflection.  _

Regina wanted to get on her knees for Emma, and cry, plead,  _ beg,  _ for forgiveness. 

And just like that, Mulan’s previous words etched themselves through her brain. 

_ “The thing with you and Emma is… you can do wrong in her eyes. You can do all the wrong that you’ve already done, over and over again, and she would acknowledge it. She’d hate it. You could do more wrong, but she’d always forgive you.” _

  
  
  


Regina broke into tears, Emma’s name being the last thing that fell from them for what was likely going to be hours. Because when Regina cried,  _ she cried. _

__**__**__**__

Emma’s spot had always been the docks. That one bench, where Emma and Regina first called each other Best friends. Well,  _ verbally.  _

So here she sits, curled up in the fetal position, as she does her very best to not think at all. Because thinking only leads to self destruction, and Emma couldn’t handle anymore destruction. She couldn’t handle anything, right now.

Right now, she just longed to look into chocolate brown eyes, and just... _ bask  _ in the privilege to even do so. And she should be so angry with Regina, really. But she can’t find it for all of the love she carries within her, for that woman. 

For god sake, they had  _ just  _ officially called each other  _ Girlfriends.  _ And Emma wants to scream, because it felt so good. 

_ So good.  _

Regina being her girlfriend was all she wanted for so long. And she has it. And just like that….in the blink of an eye…

She couldn’t even finish her thoughts, as the words echoed in her head. 

  
  


  
_ “No wonder your parents prioritize Neal! For god sake Emma, all you ever want is to be the center of attention! Maybe we’ve all had enough of the savior saving people!”  _

  
  


Maybe we’ve all had enough of the savior saving people. 

_ Well _ .

Where the hell was Emma’s savior?

Because right now she was fighting like hell for one. 

And in a blinding  _ numbness,  _ Emma dialed Regina’s number.

__**__**__**__

Her soft cries and sniffles ceased when she read the name showcasing across her phone screen, and in a flash she gripped it to her ear after hitting the answer. 

It was quite apart from a heavy sigh, followed by a rustic “Regina?”

And then like a splash of blood in water, spreading violently to even out, it’s presence almost unknown, Regina’s body  _ breathed _ again. “Emma?” 

“Hey.” It was quiet, and sheepish. And Regina longed to spend the rest of her life listening to  _ those  _ hellos, even it meant arguments like this taking place beforehand. 

“Emma, I’m so-” 

“I know. I know, just- just let me talk real quick, okay?”

Regina held her breath, her way of begging Emma to continue. 

“I think that-” When Emma exhaled and it broke into a whimper, Regina knew it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. As tears sprang to her eyes, and a hand arose to her mouth, she slowly shook her head in agony. 

“Listen, Regina. I don’t really know how to jump into this, it’s- it’s not easy, okay?” The last word Emma spoke was a hidden cry. “I don’t think this is gonna work if we can’t figure each other out. And I think we need to- uhm” Her speaking began to turn raspy, as Regina’s face began to contort and wrinkle as her heart crushed. “I think it would be best if we took a break. I’m not- “ She laughed sadly. “I know I practically just asked you to be my girl, but I really think I need to take a breather, okay?” Her voiced transition from raspy, to whispers. And Regina’s heart pulled at  _ my girl. _

“You hurt me.” Emma used the last of her strength to speak. “And I've hurt you, too, you know?” When Emma heard Regina’s first whimper, and her first cry, her own became more evident. Especially when she spoke. “I promise we will fix this, Regina. Because the only way I know to fix me is with you. But I don’t- I don’t even know how to say this right. I just need a little time to myself right now, and I think you do too.” Emma finished, with a short gasp. 

“No, I need you” It was all Regina could choke out, the flood gates now opening, as well as her heart. “I need you Emma. Please don’t- don’t leave me, okay? We can-” Regina sat upright, brushing her snotty nose as she felt the smallest twinkle of hope resurface. “We can beat this. We are stronger than this. And I know it’s my fault, okay? I didn’t mean it-”

“Regina-”

“No, I didn’t mean it, Emma. I didn’t mean it.” She repeated. 

“I know that. I know you didn’t mean it. But I can’t-” A sigh and a sniff, before she finished talking. “I can’t be with someone whose first instinct in a situation like that, is to take it out on  _ me.  _ I’m too damaged, Regina. I’m too broken.” She sighed, for once speaking through a sentence in a way that was easier to understand. 

Static silence.

“This is just a break…” Regina’s breath hitched. “Right?” 

“It’s just a break.” Emma dropped her head, as she answered the heartbroken woman through the phone. 

Regina began to cry again, her voice young and fragile. “Promise?” 

_ Of course. I love you too much. _

“I promise.” 

__**__**__**__

Cora waved her hand across her mirror, as she devilishly smiled, having just watched her daughters heartbreak over and over again. 

“Love is weakness, Regina. When will you learn?”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAYYYYYYY so In about 2 more chapters the plot will be unraveled, leaving me to fiddle my fingers wickedly and watch as you all fall apart.
> 
> Also I don't think I'm great when it comes to smut, and I really want to write in Emma and Regina's proper first... but I'm only gonna do it if someone ask me to. 
> 
> Lol thanks for reading this far!
> 
> PS: Im gonna be at the beach all day tomorrow, so the next chapter should be here sometimes around wednesday. Maybe before if you're lucky. Lol


	14. White Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Regina reached for Emma’s hand, the blonde desperately grasped it. 
> 
> And then something really beautiful happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUTTT WARNING! lmao 
> 
> Also drama. Just...FYI

Storybrooke had been quiet. More quiet than usual, in fact. 

Normally, when a flying monster intrudes the town, the whole crew is ganged up in expectancy, because after one comes a thousand. But it had been two days since the creature attacked the town's Evil Queen and Savior. 

In fact, the only news taking place in Storybrooke would be the sudden uproar and suspicion as to why a certain Henry Mills had been on bed rest with undeniable chest pain the past 48 hours.

Regina and Emma had heard the news soon after their aching phone call, and like normal mothers they arrived at Snow's apartment almost Immediately. 

It made Henry worse. 

Regina had made it there first, using her magic to poof there almost immediately, as everyone was painstakingly aware of her red rimmed eyes that now focused on the  _ son  _ of who caused her tears.

And when Emma entered the apartment, the air grew stiff upon her arrival, Regina’s eyes growing in the slightest as well as the ache in her chest. 

As soon as the blonde acknowledged the blow to her stomach, she was soon pulled from her emotional thoughts at the sound of a groaning Henry, repeatedly flinching,  _ “It’s worse, it’s worse”  _ as both mothers tended lovingly to him. 

When the two womens thoughts were overcome by their son and no longer each other, the pain visibly subsided in Henry. Both women no longer truly acknowledged the other, but small reminders occasionally spiking in their chest, Henry coincidentally letting out small whimpers with each pinch. 

However, it wasn’t five minutes until he began to cry again, leaving both women clueless and confused, As well as Dr.Whale who had been there for about 30 minutes, running as many at home tests as possible. 

Two days later, no one had been able to come up with a solution, as Henry finally passed out from fighting the pain, deep in what everyone hoped was a peaceful slumber. 

What they didn’t know was Henry had been dreaming, both hearing and seeing his mother's previous altercations, each one sending the smallest throb to the heart but also sending the largest realization to his brain. 

He was feeling the pain of his Mother’s. 

__**__**__**__

Regina and Emma had been avoiding one another. 

Occasionally, they would share the smallest of heartbreaking smiles when one exchanged the others place beside their son, who just  _ always  _ seemed to cry a little bit more when his mother’s locked eyes. Other times, they wouldn’t look at each other at all, but the extra crys or whimpers from their son never ceased. 

They never looked further into that, as they should have. 

Snow had become increasingly curious, as Henry would wake from his rare and temporary slumbers, shaking his head in disappointment. 

Finally, she asked him what the deal was. 

“Henry, can I ask you something?” She pressed the cool towel against his sweaty forehead, approaching the question softly. 

He swallowed, then sighed a breath of relief as cool droplets of water fell down his flushed face. “Yeah.”

When she pulled the towel back, she blindly placed it behind as her eyes never strayed from Henrys. “I’ve noticed this thing you’ve been doing, and it is- well it’s been recurring.”

She noticed as his eyes flashed with a sense of familiarity, moving her eyebrows in question when he looked up towards the ceiling. 

“This is going to sound absurd, but-” He sighed. “It’s also pretty cool.” He grinned, despite the ache he had slowly begun to work with.

She smiled, bewilderment fluttering behind her eyes as she tilted her head. “Okay, well-” She gave a short laugh, growing serious almost as soon as it left her body. “What is it?”

The air grew silent, apart from the sounds of plastic hitting plastic from the other end of the room, Neal having his own party with action figures. 

“I’m dreaming things.” He rolled his head to the side, looking at Snow.

“Is it like the fire room? When you first began communicating with aurora?” She sounded a little out of breath, watching as he quickly shook his head. 

“No. No, it’s-” He searched for the correct term. “It’s more like.. Memories?” 

“Memories..?” Snow leaned back, searching for more from the boy. “What memories are you seeing?” 

“Well I- they aren’t mine. That’s for sure.” He huffed.

She jerked her head, “What do you mean they aren’t yours?” Casting a look to neal in the other room, she sighed. 

Silence grew, when Henry closed his eyes, leaving Snow to think he had given up on explaining. 

“I think they are the memories of my moms.” His eyes opened, staring at a rustic spot on the ceiling. “And I think this whole time I’ve been-” A beat “feeling their pain.”

  
  


__**__**__**__

Emma sat in Archies office, hands gripping the arms of his chair, as he surveyed her with kind eyes from his very own.

Her face had remained stoic, as well as the rest of her body. But her veins were shaking with emotions she couldn’t place, the only explanation being restless legs, except _ everywhere. _ She didn’t know where to start. And Archie being a walking conscience….well, he understood. 

She regretted it. Telling Regina she wanted to take a break. 

She had been through so many battles and altercations with the other woman, why she couldn’t just suck it up for this one, was beyond her. Regina was right. 

Emma  _ was  _ selfish. 

“I shouldn’t have-” She huffed out air, as the will to talk wanted to run away with her voice box. “Shouldn’t have told her that. I shouldn’t-” Running a hand across her face, she allowed tears to silently fall. 

As Archie's face remained still, he allowed Emma the chance to pull herself together. 

The blonde bent over. Placing her elbows on her knees as she held her head in her hands. “Was that stupid of me?” She slowly glanced at Archie though her hands, watching as he uncrossed his legs.

With a subtle tilt of his head, he hummed as he thought out his answer. “I don’t think there is anything wrong with speaking on behalf of your emotions, Emma. You communicated. You spoke up about the way you were feeling, and that is never wrong.” He watched as Emma sat upright again, removing her hands from her face. 

“But I could have done that without telling her I wanted-” Her chest deflated, as well as her voice. “a _ break. _ ” 

As she sunk into her chair, Archie observed her before speaking. “I think you did what was necessary to get your emotions across. And I know you think that is selfish, but in relationships-” He sighed, smacking his lips as he contemplated his answer. “Look, Emma. You’re a damaged woman. Just like the rest of us.. are  _ damaged people _ . We come out of the womb damaged, so it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Taking a break from what was just beginning to blossom, is a form of self care. Self... _ love.  _ If anything, giving the both of you the time you need apart, is only going to work out in your favor.” He slowly stood, as he made his way to sit on the love seat that was closer to Emma. 

“Regina was wrong in what she said. This is how one teaches another a very important lesson. Sometimes apologies don’t do justice, especially for the pain  _ words  _ can cause.” He looked her in the eyes, expressing empathy. 

“But she didn’t mean it. She apologized, and  _ that _ \- I know she meant.” Emma sighed, tapping her knee caps with her fingers. “Regina is damaged, too. I mean- she spent  _ years  _ using anger as her only self defense despite what she was feeling. Maybe I jumped on my own little bandwagon too soon.” 

“Emma- listen to me. You would have been hurting yourself more, if you were to have just shoved it aside with the acceptance of an apology.” Shaking his head, he continued. “You’re worrying about Regina’s side of this far too much, I-” 

“Because I love her, Archie.” Emma looked him in the eyes, displaying her inner turmoil. “I think I’m gonna-” she sighed. “I think I’m going to talk to her. Because something tells me this was the wrong way to go about things. I was just-  _ hurt. _ And acting on old instincts.” 

He sat up right, shaking his head in both defeat and agreement. “Well, if there is anything I instruct to people, it is that you should always do what your heart feels. As long as you know the difference between heart, and mind.” He smiled, giving her a stiff nod. 

Emma slowly stood from her seat, grabbing her blue jacket off of the back of the chair. 

“Thanks, Archie.” She sighed, making her way to the door. 

“Don’t thank me, Emma. Thank yourself.” 

__**__**__**__

Once Belle had received the news that Henry was bad off, she had almost immediately done the right thing by calling Snow and telling her the reason. But apparently Cora had taken a liking to the bookworm, never leaving her side or the clocktower, as she trusted the nerdy brunette could provide her with any and all information.

She also bribed Belle, promising she would release more information on Rumple, who Belle asked about only every hour.

That seemed to work greatly. 

Now, whenever Belle answered phone calls they were always on speaker. And when any information was extracted from the countless books, she filled Cora in. All the while internally grimacing. 

Cora had magicked a hefty amount of books in front of Belle, not once telling her the reason, as the younger woman began to flip through pages searching for some symbol Cora had provided her an image with. 

When she caught words as she flipped through pages, such as  _ dead,  _ and  _ resurrecting,  _ and  _ cloning,  _ that’s when the bookworm abruptly dropped the book onto the table, speaking into the room that she  _ knew  _ cora was listening in on. 

“What is your plan, exactly? Why can’t you just leave Regina-  _ the rest of us,  _ alone?” Placing her palms down on the table, she waited for a soft gust of wind that floated from behind her, signaling the woman's return. 

“Why do you care so much? Aren’t you worried your words will affect your poor rumple?” She walked up to the table, glancing at the open page of the book, waving a hand nonchalantly as she spoke. “Does the age gap ever bother you? You’re far too young for such-” 

“I asked you a question, I don’t understand why we have to play games here. I’m obviously doing what you ask of me, so why can’t you let me in on  _ any  _ information!?” Belle huffed, standing with her arms stiff at her sides. 

Cora faked surprise, as she widened her eyes at the woman. “Well don’t get your panties in a wad! You’d never get them untangled without your old man.” She giggled darkly, before sighing at the lack of information in front of her. 

“You want to know my plan?” She looked pointedly at Belle, demeanor remaining light as her intentions were dark. “I’ll tell you.” She walked around occupying her feet, as Belle remained stiff, her eyes moving with the other woman's extra attire. “I plan to bring back the dead.”

Belle furrowed her eyebrows. “I gathered that much.”

“Oh! Then you really  _ are  _ smart.” With a roll of her eyes, Cora waved her hand, silencing Belle, who grasped her throat and slowly pulled her fingers down it, looking at Cora desperately. 

“Well if it’s information you want then it’s information you’ll get. But I can’t have you repeating it to anyone. That would just be foolish on my very own behalf.” Cora smiled, as she watched the inner turmoil bottle in Belle. 

“I’m bringing back the man I took from my daughter all those years ago. The catch?” She hummed. “He’s under my control. And He’ll do exactly what I wish.” She watched Belle’s eyes flash with horror and confusion. 

“I know, it almost doesn’t make sense. What good would he do? Storybrooke is in trouble with the Evil Queen and Savior together, and their son is on his deathbed when they are apart.” She ginned, as her words unfolded. “But I’m afraid that with all of these..  _ Hero’s... _ Emma and Regina will find a way to be together and cope with the town as it falls apart all at once. So, what better way to take the life of their son, than by breaking Emma Swan's Heart? That’s when Daniel comes into play” Watching as Belle began to panic, she waved her hands, returning the woman's voice. “You do talk a lot.” 

As Belle’s voice resurfaced, she finally choked. “Why do you get off on being so- so... _ evil _ !?”

Cora sighed. “My daughter asked for this. Really, she'll be the one destroying lives. All of the guilt will fall onto Regina by the end of this wonderfully made plan.”

“ _ Wonderfully _ ? This is a disaster! Aren’t  _ you  _ in over your head?” Belle pointed out, exasperatedly. 

Cora fought back a scoff, including a drawn out  _ “You idiot”,  _ before she finally spoke. “A disaster is exactly what I was going for. Screw _ plans _ , the people of Storybrooke always solve problems that start out as  _ plans. _ ” She scoffed. “I just want to watch my daughter suffer.”

__**__**__**__

“Madame Mayor, I have something that was dropped off for you about an hour ago.” Regina’s secretary buzzed Regina through her office phone, causing the brunette to jump out of thought, quickly pressing the button so she could speak. 

“Bring it to me, Please. And thank you.” Soon after she spoke, her secretary brought Regina something that resembled a paper bag. But Regina hadn’t noticed, due to her sudden obsession with the paper in front of her that she was attempting at filling out. 

At the sound of her office door closing, Regina released a sigh, dropping her head to place in her palm. There were few people Regina allowed to see under her facade that resembled a tough, hardcore and put together woman, and her secretary wasn’t one of them. 

Placing a side glance on the paper bag, she scrunched her eyes in curiosity. Sitting upright in her chair and pulling it forward, she snatched up the paper bag, placing it in her lap to open. 

When she did, a quiet hitch in her breath took place, as she took in the contents in the bag. 

Her eyes slowly began to sadden, the pout that she was becoming familiar with climbing itself onto her features, her pulse quickening at an unsteady rate. 

Regina reached into the bag, and pulled out the object, as she began to hold it between her fingers. 

She knew it was from Emma Swan. Because Emma was the only person to ever be so thoughtful towards Regina in years. But as the knowledge arose, Regina couldn’t help but sink into her seat as she recalled how much she was missing the woman.

The feeling of Emma’s soft and light curls falling through her fingertips, as Regina would slowly count the freckles across Emma’s face, sometimes muttering the number she was on subconsciously out loud causing the blonde to break into a fit of giggles. The way Emma always stuck her tongue out before bringing a fork full of food to her mouth. And the way she smelt, which  _ years ago  _ she found herself holding onto. 

Funny thing was, she even missed Emma’s ridiculous Red leather of a jacket she called armour. 

Regina missed  _ Emma. _

Placing the item down onto her desk, she reached for her cell phone, as she contemplated calling Emma. This was the woman's way of saying something, was it not? Maybe it really  _ was  _ a break. 

Regina was unsure of herself, but she’d be damned if she’d let an opportunity like this one go to waste. 

Gliding her thumb across her phone screen, she paused over Emma’s contact name. 

She took a deep breath, before pressing the call button. 

With the first couple of rings, Regina felt subtle excitement creep its way to the surface as she began to tap on her desk with her opposite hand. But as rings continued to surpass, she felt her heart slowly fall, as well as the hope in her eyes. 

_ Hey, you’ve reached Emma Swan’s voice mail box, sorry I can’t get to the phone. Try again later, or leave a message.  _

Regina grew stiff along with the air around her, before waiting through two seconds of silence, then speaking. 

“Emma” She sounded slightly out of breath, as the feeling of Emma’s name leaving her mouth felt so...odd to her. Almost as though it tasted different. She never wants to go so long without saying her name, again. “It’s me, uhm-” She closed her eyes tightly, silenting pushing herself to speak more clearly. “I just wanted to call and leave a thank you for the”  _ White rose.  _ “You know.” 

She laughed lightly into the phone, before quickly sobering. “I also wanted to apologize. Again. And let you know that I…” And before she could finish, her time was up. 

“Motherfucker-” She muttered beneath the breath, as she contemplated throwing it against the wall. 

She had spent the past two days  _ loathing  _ her existence, and blaming herself for every part of it. 

Her son was reportedly sick with some unknown disease..god knows what, while the woman she  _ loved  _ was absent from her life because of her own actions. 

Regina practically told Emma no one wanted a savior. 

That wasn’t true at all. 

Because here Regina sits, a white rose in her hand, cell phone in the other, as she begs for her savior. 

_ Emma Swan. _

__**__**__**__

Emma sat inside of granny’s diner, as she occasionally cast side glances to her cell phone that had yet to go off. It had been about 5 minutes since she dropped Regina’s gift off at the office, and while she knows 5 minutes isn’t a long time….well, she’s still sitting on the edge of her seat. 

“How are you and Mayor Sexypants?” Red crept up from behind Emma, quickly slipping into the booth with her, passing a hot cocoa with cinnamon towards her. 

“Non existent, at the moment. Or- well” Emma tilted her head, quirking her eyebrows at her own answer. “We’re working on it.” 

Emma sipped her hot cocoa, as she watched Red pull her head back in confusion. “What do you mean non-existent? You and Regina have been inseparable these past few days, what is there to work on?” Red began to pop her knuckles subconsciously, waiting for an answer from Emma. 

“I told her that we should take a break.” Emma shortly replied, as her lips spread into a thin line, her eyes straying from her mug to Reds a few times in a row. 

When Red’s mouth dropped open, Emma sighed. “Look, we just had a little fight and- like always I ran away instead of addressing it, or-  _ us _ ” When Emma shrugged her shoulders, Red understood it wasn’t a subject to be pushed. 

She did it anyway.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were married by next week. You two are-” Red sighed, reaching across the table for a startled Emma’s hand. “I swear, it’s like you’re made for each other.” 

Emma’s eyes nonchalantly grew soft, lips falling apart slightly. “You think so?” 

“Know so.” When Red gave Emma her dazzling smile, the blonde gave one back. “Where is she now?” The brunette tilted her head in question, watching as the blonde dropped her shoulders. 

“She’s at the office, I’m sure, but-” 

“Go to her.” Red sat up, looking Emma pointedly in the eyes. “You heard me. Go.” 

Emma slowly straightened her back, giving a repressed look around the diner before sheepishly looking back at Red. “Think so?” She deeply inhaled, almost exaggerating as she released it. 

With a knowing smile and a tilt of her head, Red replied comically. “Know so.  _ Duh _ ”

“Here goes.” Emma began to slide out of the booth, coming to halt when she began to walk off. 

She turned back to Red, as she ludicrously stated. “I’m getting the  _ largest  _ amount of deja vu right now, it’s like-” 

“Emma! Go!” Red laughed, watching the blondes cheeks flush. 

When Emma was out of the diner, Red sighed, before slowly pushing herself out of the booth and making her way to the secluded part of the Diner. 

As she exhaled, her body slowly morphed itself into a shorter, more frightening, and older woman. 

_ Cora.  _

Fixating her demeanor, she waved her hand, teleporting herself back to the clock tower. 

  
  


_ First step: Bring Emma and Regina together again.  _

_ Second step: Resurrect Daniel.  _

_ And third step: Watch everything fall apart.  _

Since these idiots were practically a replication of Snow and Charming themselves, Cora knew that this ridiculous curse would only be off putting for so long. 

So she thought bigger. 

__**__**__**__

  
  


Regina had spent the last two hours in her office sulking, every couple of minutes listening in on a noise that might sound from her phone, in hopes it was Emma Swan. Instead, it was Snow, updating her on Henry. 

But it was never Emma.

Now, she was walking out of her office, as she was free to leave. She knew that realistically she should be staying, because she hadn’t gotten much of anything done due to a certain blonde and her son, both of which are the only thing she can think of. But today she pulled the Mayor Card. She’ll do it when she pleases. 

When she stepped out of the double doors to the town hall, she swiftly waved her hand as she locked the door, keeping her head down the whole way to her mercedes. As she continued to make her way to her vehicle, someone caught her attention.

“Regina!” The brunette snapped her head towards the sound, to find a winded Emma Swan running towards her.

Regina was speechless as the blonde continued to run in her direction, only ever being capable of spitting out Emma’s name when she was almost reaching distance from her. “Em-ma?” It was soft, and there was a simple  _ is it really you?  _ Hidden behind it.

“Hey-” Emma held out a hand, bending over to catch her breath which brought a low laugh out of Regina. 

“It’s the bear claws, Dear.” She watched as Emma stood up, offended with a hint of amusement behind her eyes. 

“For your information, I have abs. And a fast metabolism. I can eat, like-  _ all the shit I want _ .” Emma teased, placing her hands in her hips and lightly swaying side to side. 

Regina’s heart had picked up it’s pace, as well as it’s normal fluttering whenever Emma’s dimples were twinkling at her like that. But from the surface, you would never tell. 

Although Regina’s eyes always did deceive her. 

“Well, I can attest to that.” A small something glittered behind Regina’s eyes, as she observed Emma’s goofy grin. 

Their normal silence filled the air, as one observed the other, before Emma cleared her throat. 

“I got your message.” She tilted her head, her eyes never straying from Regina’s. 

“And you left me thinking you didn’t? I’m disappointed.” It was playful, with the smallest hint of malice because Regina  _ was  _ disappointed and she wanted Emma to know that. 

When Emma began to inhale and exhale more profoundly, she broke eyecoct with Regina as she began to speak, fret and eagerness floating behind her eyes. “What were you going to say? When-” She looked at Regina, who was still furrowing her eyebrows in interest. “When you went to hang up? I just think I should know.” 

“You think...you should know?” Regina asked, evidently. “Emma-” She sighed. “Why are you here?” 

Emma’s chest deflated like a punctured balloon, her face holding the same expectant face, slightly smiling. “Because I wanted- no, needed to know.” She took a timid step forward, and in a flash Regina saw the same Emma that returned her 10 year old son home that very first night they met. 

“Needed to know what, Emma?” Her ears began to swim, as she saw the potential the conversation held. And suddenly Regina just wanted to pour her heart out. But she couldn’t do that yet. She was going to wait until she was clear of heartbreak.

Emma tapped the bottom of her boot on the concrete, watching as it lifted up and down. The message replayed in her head, as she continued to question what Regina meant to say at the end of the voicemail.  _ ‘And let you know that I….’ _

Miss you? 

Want you back? 

_ Love you?  _

And then Emma remembered that when you love someone you tell them. Because when she watched Graham die in her arms,  _ if  _ she had known he was dying, she would have screamed it. Because in such a short period of time, she really loved him. 

And when she watched as Neal's breaths grew shallow, and listened to him call  _ Papa,  _ to his grandfather….and when he handed Emma the Swan necklace, and whispered  _ “Go find Tallahassee”,  _ her heart longed to etch her declaration of love across itself. 

“Emma?” Regina took a step towards Emma, cautiously tilting her head. “You okay?” 

It was as though a ticking bomb was running on its last seconds, each thump like a punch of courage running through her veins. And as she stared into such caring and loving eyes, nothing else mattered to her. she did what she had feared for so long. 

Regina’s mouth went to open again, when Emma beat her to it. 

Speaking breathlessly and fast, she almost whispered, “you’re my Tallahassee.” 

Regina straightened her head, her eyes softening as she pushed Emma to elaborate. Her heart fluttered for unknown reasons. “Emma, what-” 

“It’s you.” A weight physically and emotionally floated off of Emma’s chest, a mix of sorrowful and gleeful tears brimming the edges of her eyes, as she smiled when she spoke. “Well, you and- and  _ our  _ son. You’re both my Tallahassee.” She sniffed, letting out an apparent and short laugh.

Regina watched as Emma unfolded one by one, and she took a timid step closer when she began to toy with the Swan necklace that rested along her sternum. “What are you saying?” It came out hopeful, disbelieving, and breathless. 

“What I’m saying” Emma closed her eyes, as she accentuated her words. “Is-” A deep breath. “You are my happy ending. I just- know. You and Henry.” Emma smiled as she watched Regina’s eyes transform, a hopeful and timid smile glowing across her lips. “And I guess it took about three days for me to- gather the strength to say that. I mean-” She huffed, looking at Regina’s heel clad feet. “I felt it the whole time. I was just scared. And- possibly the  _ longest  _ three pitiful, dreadful, heart wrenching days of my life opened my eyes.” They both stood with about a foot or more distance between them, as tears littered in both eyes. 

When Regina reached for Emma’s hand, the blonde desperately grasped it. 

And then something  _ really  _ beautiful happened. 

**.**

_ “Please don’t take me back there” A young Henry pleaded, beside his newly found birth mother.  _

_ “I have to. I’m sure your parents are worried sick about you.” A strong and confident Emma strode up the walkway to the large white mansion.  _

_ “I don’t have parents. Just a mom. And she’s evil.” He whined.  _

_ “Evil?” Emma pointedly turned to look at him.”That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?”  _

_ “She is. She doesn’t love me, she only pretends to.” He sighed, sadly.  _

_ “...kid...I’m sure that’s not true.” Emma bent down to eye level with him.  _

_ And then the door to the mansion swung open.  _

_ “Henry!?”  _

**.**

_ “You’re Henry’s Birth mother?” Dough eyes, littered with tears and smudged mascara looked hesitantly into the eyes of a just met Blonde.  _

_ “Hi”  _

**.**

_ “You may have given birth to him, but he is my son.” A fumed Regina looked directly into the eyes of the new comer, Emma Swan.  _

**.**

_ Holding a basket of apples, she stands in the doorway of Emma Swan's temporary room.  _

_ “You have no idea,” she leered. “What I am capable of.”  _

**.**

_ Storming into her own yard, hands fisted at her sides. “What the hell are you doing?”  _

_ “Picking apples.” She grinned, as the chainsaw revved once more.  _

**.**

_ “Cause’ Sister, you have no idea what I’m capable of.” The blonde stared into the eyes of Regina, as hot furry found itself gliding through any and all veins of both women.  _

_ “Your move.” _

  
  


**.**

_ “How in the hell did you get like this?”  _

_ Regina sat in her office chair, leering at the blonde who stood feet from her.  _

_ “Your move, Ms. Swan.”  _

**.**

_ “Enjoy my shirt. Because that’s all you’re getting.” The brunette leaned into Emma’s personal space, gripping the hand of her son as she sarcastically grinned.  _

**.**

_ She stepped into Emma’s personal space, a stray tear falling from her eyes as Graham surveyed the lack of space between the two.  _

_ “Just bring him to me.” She pleaded _

**.**

_ “Why is everyone running away from you?” Emma, Regina and the sheriff all stood outside of the vault.  _

_ Regina felt her heart strum with something that wasn’t close enough to anger.  _

_ She swung.  _

**.**

_ Hot fire littered the town hall, as a helpless Regina looked up at a breathless Emma.  _

_ “Help me!”  _

_ And then  _

_ “You’re gonna leave me, aren’t you?”  _

_ Emma didn’t leave her.  _

**.**

_ “Swan, you will sit down immediately or so help me.” She looked up from her position at a smirking, smug blonde.  _

_ “Or what? You’ll punish me?”  _

**.**

_ “Whatever..this is- between us. It has to end.” They stood in the Mayors foyer, too close for enemies.  _

_ “What?”  _

**.**

_ “It’s true. Isn’t it!?” A red hot Emma Swan held her forearm against the throat of Regina Mills, spitting words with anger.  _

_ A regretful and sorrowful gasp. “Yes.”  _

**.**

_ “I do love you.” Regina stood beside a newly awoken Henry, as tears fell from her face and Emma watched from her side, just as choked up.  _

**.**

_ “Let her go!” The blonde pushed through the mob of people surrounding Regina’s mansion, as Whale held her against one of the pillars.  _

_ “Let her go! Let her go.”  _

**.**

_ “She’s not dying.” Emma looked at her mother, as Regina looked at Emma.  _

_ Her heart did something she hadn’t felt in a long time. _

**.**

_ Emma’s hand gripped a crouching Regina’s bicep, and the portal through the hat opened.  _

_ “Regina!” A shove, and Emma swan saved her life.  _

_ Again.  _

**.**

_ “She saved you! She saved all of us.” Henry looked at his birth mother, who was looking at Regina.  _

_ “Welcome back.” A thin smile, as the brunette watched the blonde.  _

_ “Thanks” _

**.**

_ “What is she doing here?” Leroy reached for a knife that sat on Granny’s counter.  _

_ “I invited her.” Emma looked at him pointedly, as Regina entered the Diner.  _

**.**

_ “Archie made a cake!” Emma chased after Regina. “You don’t want to stay for a piece?”:  _

**.**

_ “I know that look.” Emma looked at Mary Margaret. “I know her.”  _

_ “I believe her.” She looked back at Regina through the glass. _

**.**

_ “You can use Magic?” Regina looked into Emma’s eyes, as they stood on the porch of the mansion.  _

**.**

_ “He’s my son!”  _

_ “He’s not, He’s mine!”  _

**.**

_ “Regina, please” Emma looked at the woman, whose eyes were crawling with tears and pain.  _

_ “Everyone looks at me as the Evil Queen. Let me die as Regina.” She pleaded, as she looked down at the trigger.  _

**.**

_ “You may not be strong enough..but maybe we are.”  _

_ They both risk their lives together.  _

**.**

_ “You think it’s the best plan because your boyfriend came up with it?” Regina sneered, as the both Emma, Snow, and herself stood on the ground of Neverland.  _

_ “My boyfriend?” Emma queried.  _

**.**

_ “My son is dying” Regina looked at a lifeless Henry who rested on the floor of a cave.  _

_ “Our son.”  _

**.**

_ “Regina!” Emma grasped the hand of an unconscious Regina who lay on the ground in the middle of Storybrooke.  _

_ A gasp. “Emma?”  _

**.**

_ “My gift to you...is good memories.” Regina grasped Emma’s hands in her own, as the hearts of both women shattered.  _

_ For reasons they refused to acknowledge.  _

**.**

_ “So do you think they bought it?” Regina looked expectantly at Emma, who entered her office after just having left town hall.  _

_ ‘Yeah, I think they did.”  _

_ They shared a smile.  _

**.**

_ “My super power may not be perfect, but with you Regina, I always know when you’re lying.”  _

_ Unbeknownst to them, their hearts were beating in sync. _

_ “You’re telling the truth. I believe you.” _

**.**

_ “Seriously?” Regina looked at Emma as they stood in their vault. “You’re going to pretend nobody sees the- yearning looks and doughy eyes?”  _

_ “I don’t yearn.”  _

_ “Well, he does.”  _

**.**

_ “I know you brought me to Story Brooke to bring back the happy endings. My job’s not done until I do that for everyone.” A beat. “Including you.’  _

_ Regina sat on the other side of the door, as she lifted her head, heart clenching at Emma’s words. _

**.**

_ “Despite everything, you’ve done alot for me Regina. You’ve had my back and I want you to know that I have yours.”  _

**.**

_ “In Storybrooke, I’ve got my son, and my parents. But they can’t always understand me. They don’t know what it feels like to be rejected and misunderstood. Not the way I do...Not the way you do.” Emma looks at Regina, as they stand in the vault. “And somehow that makes us..I don’t know, unique! Or- maybe even special.”  _

**.**

_ “Emma- wait.”  _

_ Emma turned back to look at the brunette, whose eyes held a hint of regret. _

_ “I don’t -want- to kill you.”  _

**.**

_ A breathless Henry looked between Regina and Emma, as they sat at Granny’s bar sharing a drink with one another.  _

_ “Mom” He looked at Regina. “Mom” He looked at Emma.  _

_ Regina liked the sound of that far too much,  _

_ As did Emma.  _

**.**

_ “I’m in.” Emma looked at Regina, as she grinned.  _

_ “You are?”  _

_ “I made you a promise I intend to keep. Everyone deserves their happy ending.”  _

_ Regina flashed a large smile, as did her heart.  _

**.**

_ “But maybe I need you.” Regina looked pleadingly into the eyes of Emma. _

**.**

_ “You made me a monster.” Regina pointed at Rumple. “But I won't let you do the same to Emma.” _

_ “You’re choosing the savior? Over your beloved Robin hood?” _

**.**

_ “Emma! NO!” Regina barked, as the darkness whirled itself around her, pouring into every vessel.  _

_ “You’ve worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed!”  _

**.**

_ “You can lie to your parents, and you can lie to yourself. But you can’t lie to me.” Regina looked at Emma, as they stood in camelot.  _

_ “Look I know you, Emma. I really...know you.” _

**.**

_ “To be honest, you’re too good for Hook.” Regina looked at Emma as she held her mug of coffee.  _

**.**

The memories continued to flood through their brains simultaneously ,as the air from their lungs dissipated for nearly too long, bridging a light headed sense to both women. Emma’s heart flooded with a chorus of  _ Madame mayor’s  _ to  _ Regina’s  _ and the occasional  _ Gina,  _ while Reginas escalated from  _ Miss Swan’s  _ that were spoken with malice and hatred, to  _ Miss Swan’s  _ that were ever rarely spoken, and when they were it was with question. And when it became  _ Emma... _ she was done for by then. 

With a sharp inhale, their eyes snapped open, as hearts beated perfectly in sync. One woman looked at the other, both lips parting to show a large grin on their faces. And they just knew.

They were falling in love the whole time. 

“I love you.” Emma whispered, as she took a timid step forward, giggling as she rested her forehead against Regina’s. 

Regina’s face grew impossibly softer, as a hand reached to cup the blondes cheek. “And I love you.” 

__**__**__**__

“Grandma?! Grandpa!?” Henry sat up in bed, his color returning to its normal warmth, his chest feeling light and airy as he was now capable of taking deep breaths without a sharp stab to his heart. 

Stomps sounded from above him. “Henry?” When Snow rounded the staircase to look into the eyes of a not so sick Henry, she gasped. “What?-” 

“They did it!” He jumped from the bed, running to crush Snow in a breathtaking hug as his excitement filled the atmosphere. 

“They- they did what? Who did what?” She returned the hug, reluctance written on all corners of her face. 

“They broke the curse! They shared a kiss stronger than the first! It broke the curse!” He practically squealed, when David rushed in from work. 

“What’s going on?” He looked at Henry who was standing for the first time in almost three days. “Henry?” 

“They broke the curse! I knew it.” He turned smug, standing on the tiptoes, proud of his Mother’s. 

“But belle said it was impossible!” Snow looked at David, whose eyes never strayed from Henrys. 

“Don’t tell me you really fell for that!?” Henry looked at her, the happiest kid in the world. “True love is the most powerful magic, Grandma. Just because some book said it was impossible, doesn’t make it impossible. You just have to believe.” 

A small smile filled the woman's face, as she turned to look at David. 

“And you believed, didn’t you, kid?” David patted his shoulder, as the three of them felt joyous. 

“Of course I did. I’m Henry Mills.” 

__**__**__**__

Cora’s face fell flat, as she waved her hand, removing the scene from the mirror. 

A scoff. “Impossible!” 

Belle stood behind her, surveying the scene taking place between Grandparents and Grandson. 

“That shouldn’t have happened!” The woman’s face turned red, as the glass shattered, Belle cowering down to protect herself. “The curse had no remedy! It was the whole point of-  _ AGH _ ” 

Belle watched the older woman stomp towards the table of books. 

“Read. I want you to read, and don’t stop or so help me I will curse your eyeballs to be capable of nothing BUT!” She huffed, watching as the bookworm trampled towards the pile. “I have someone I need to resurrect.” 

__**__**__**__

Emma sat on the edge of Regina’s master bed, her hands resting on the older woman's hips, who stood at the foot of it between the blonde's legs.

Looking up at Regina, Emma smiled. “We’ve made so much progress. I can’t believe-” She turned her head, to press her ear against Regina’s breast, squeezing the woman closer. “It’s hard to believe we are the same women who endlessly fought over any and everything...especially  _ our _ son.” Emma emphasized the  _ our,  _ just going to prove an example of growth.

“You will always be Miss Swan to me.” Regina lightly pulled Emma’s head away from her chest, as she locked their eyes. “And you will  _ always  _ infuriate me. That will  _ never  _ change.” She raised an eyebrow, a soft smile on her lips as Emma tilted her head in agreement. “But- you will also, always be the woman I fell in love with. Though it was painful for  _ far too long _ .” Regina leaned forward, resting her lips against Emma’s forehead. 

Emma sighed, as she felt the warmth of Regina against her head. “I loved you the whole time. It’s what-” Her voice hitched. “It’s what made me  _ want  _ to bother you. It’s the only emotion I thought I was capable of getting you to feel.” Both women simultaneously pulled away. “I wanted you to think of me at night. Whether it was for...good or- bad reasons. Like wanting to put my head on a platter, or wanting to-... _ yeah _ ” She laughed childishly.

“You made me feel emotions I hadn’t felt in so long. And you also gave me something to look forward to everyday. Trust me, I got off on watching your face turn red with anger far more than I care to admit.” She brushed a hand through Emma’s hair, as the woman blushed. 

“So you.. _ did... _ think of me at night?” She grinned, pecking the patch of exposed skin on Regina’s chest. 

“That’s...not exactly what I meant. But if you must know..” She nodded her head slowly, looking at the strands of Emma’s hair that were falling through her fingers. “Yes. I did think of you at night.”

Emma closed her eyes, humming as Regina began to massage her head, simultaneously kicking off her heels, her chin coming to the top of Emma’s forehead. “It didn’t take long, and you were all I could think about.” Regina whispered.

Opening her eyes, Emma looked up at Regina, her eyelashes fluttering just after the ones across from her. As they held eye contact, Regina exhaled, and the most exhilarating feeling overpassed Emma’s stomach. Watching this woman be so..open, and trusting, did things to her. It did things to  _ Her.  _ The air grew thicker, as it transformed from something so pure innocent, to something heavy and... _ sexual.  _

This is what it felt like whenever one would step into the others personal space, during arguments over their son. Or- stupid things like that. But now, they could act on it. And it tripled their desire by nearly a thousand. 

And in a way that said Regina knew exactly what Emma was thinking, she pushed her hair behind her shoulders, eyes never straying from Emma’s when she slowly dropped to her knees. 

Emma’s mouth slowly fell open, as gravity pulled her upper body slightly forward, bending down to ask for Regina’s lips against hers. 

When the older woman complied, it was evident neither would be leaving the others presence anytime soon.

The brunette pushed up slightly on her knees, capturing Emma’s lips in her own. 

Their lips parted, pressing against one another like matching puzzle pieces, before pulling apart and fitting just as perfectly in different positions, which varied as one turned their head against the other. 

When Regina sighed into Emma’s open mouth, the blonde released a soft whimper, drawing Regina to push herself onto her knees, and grab Emma by her hair and the collar of her shirt, dragging her further into the kiss. 

Emma’s tongue slowly slid itself from between her lips, softly caressing Regna’s bottom, bringing the woman on her knees to lunge forward with pure  _ want _ , when Emma pulled back just enough for Regina’s upper body to follow her. 

The blonde hummed, as she pulled away from Regina completely, grasping dark locks with her right hand, pulling the woman's head backwards as lips lunged forward to hungrily bite and kiss at her soft, tender and sensitive neck. 

Regina gasped, her eyebrows furrowing in pleasure, mouth falling open as her hands moved languidly against Emma. Her left hand on Emma’s right thigh, and right hand in blonde locks, applying pressure in places that make her toes curl. 

“Emma-” She sighed her name, before the blonde latched onto the spot just an inch below her ear, causing her head to fall back sensually. At the motion, Emma drew herself backwards to look into Regina’s eyes. 

Regina’s eyes were closed, her lips beginning to swell from such little kissing, that it made Emma want to see what they would look like smudged and swollen after hours of making love. Surveying the woman who sat back on her knees, breathlessly tugging at Emma’s hair and running her hand dangerously close to emma’s center near her thigh, the younger woman spoke softly, but also assertively. “Stand up” 

When Regina’s eyes fluttered open, there was nearly no color remaining in her eyes, as her pupils were dark with lust. Her eyes fell from Emma’s, traveling down to the blondes lips as she slowly pushed herself to a standing position, a look of desire dancing across her body. 

Regina was waiting for Emma to touch her again, and in a way it was nearly embarrassing when Emma reached to undo her top button, causing a shuddered gasp to leave the woman who now stood over Emma once again. As buttons slowly disappeared, Regina slowly swayed with pleasure, just the  _ thought  _ of being with Emma sending throbs down below.

Once her blouse was lost, she watched Emma move to unbutton her pants, slowly and carefully pushing them down the length or her legs, as Regina gripped her shoulders for balance. 

“Can I?” Emma looked up at Regina, as her fingers tips trailed themselves along the lines of Regina’s dark red panties, searching for reassurance. 

When Regina wordlessly nodded, Emma began to drag them down, rousing a gasp from Regina at the feeling of material leaving her center, as it had grown wet with her own fluids.

“God” Emma breathlessly displayed her pleasure at the sight before her, pulling the red material away from Regina’s feet when the woman stepped. 

Hesitating to look away from ruined fabric, she looked back up at Regina, who was watching her through hooded eyes. 

Running her hands along Regina’s hips and down her thighs, Emma placed warm and wet open mouth kisses along Regina’s abdomen, whose stomach was subconsciously sucking itself in with pleasure and a series of broken breaths. 

Running her hands from the base of Emma’s neck up into her scalp, Emma pulled back, a small shining trail on her lips from the kisses she had been massaging into the older woman. With a sudden need to replace it with her own, Regina leaned down, pulling the woman in their filthiest kiss yet, tongues battling and delving in and out of mouths as moans erupted between the two of them. 

Regina felt hands slowly trail up her back side, never ending as they reached the clasp of her bra, which was gone within seconds. 

Breaking the kiss with a loud smack, Emma withdrew her hand from behind the brunette, placing it on her chest as she pushed enough for Regina to straighten her back, putting the blonde at eye level with a perfect breast. Wasting no time, Emma brought her mouth forward, tongue prodding out to leave a solid lick over a hardened nipple, a hand gripping the woman's waist to almost roughly pull her impossibly closer. 

“God- Emma” Regina’s gasp turned into a soft moan, as she squeezed the blonde's shoulder, when a hot and liquidy mouth closed around her nipple, sucking relentlessly. 

Regina had her head thrown back, teeth pulling on her lip, when she opened her eyes and looked down hungrily at the blonde who had released her breast, and was sliding off of the bed and onto her knees in a torturously slow manner, making Regina’s whole body tremble in expectancy. 

Hands squeezed at the standing woman's thighs, as Emma bit her bottom lip, eyes almost fluttering closed at the hand massaging in her hair. “I want-” She leaned forward, and pressed a hot kiss on Regina’s pelvis, trailing them down and to the right, listening in as Regina’s breathing grew shallow. “To taste you.” 

It was such a filthy thing to say, but leaving Emma Swan's mouth it sounded innocent, all the while sending butterflies and another surge of  _ wetness  _ to her center. 

“Please” Regina choked, as she watched Emma’s eyes darkly flick down towards her center, then her thighs which she  _ knew  _ were glistening. 

And without warning, she slowly but surely leaned forward, pressing herself completely between Regina’s thighs, as a sure, heated, and textured tongue slid itself through Regina’s arousal. 

“Oh- god-” As Emma’s tongue began to slowly yet hungrily devour, Regina’s upper body fell forward, a hand on the back of Emma’s head and a hand supporting herself on the end of her own bed. 

How Emma managed to work her tongue so wonderfully, all the while squeezing herself further between standing legs, was beyond Regina. But with every hot stroke of Emma’s tongue, her overall body temperature lunged up, and her hips slowly moved in rhythm with the one Emma had set. 

When Emma’s hands reached around to Regina’s rear and squeezed, she felt her body being pulled impossibly closer to the blondes mouth, a hot tongue disappearing and then out of nowhere thrusting itself inside of Regina’s entrance. 

And  _ oh god  _ how long was this woman's tongue? 

At this point, Regina was directly on top of Emma’s face, who had spread her own legs in order to grow lower to the floor as she worked her magic. 

As Emma put all of her effort into massaging the velvety insides of Regina, she unconsciously moaned against the womans sex, as her taste buds registered another flood of tangy sweetness, which- Emma was never going to stop devouring for the life of her. 

A long, deep, and throaty moan fell from Regina as the older woman struggled to keep her legs upright, the vibration from Emma’s moan sending her over the edge, her upper body having already given up on the task as she was almost bent over her bed, Emma being the only thing that separated her bottom half from the mattress. 

When Emma’s tongue became difficult to thrust, she purposely shoved her face further into the dripping area, in a move to give Regina the longest orgasm she could. 

And in a way, she did. 

Regina’s legs had begun to tremble, as her hold on Emma’s hair grew nearly painful, subconsciously pulling the blonde away just far enough for her tongue to slide out of the woman. Thinking quick, Emma latched her lips around Regina’s swollen nub, tongue prodding as she sucked vigorously, receiving what was nearly a squeal from Regina. 

_ Keep noted: Regina Mills isn’t quiet when receiving cunnilingus.  _

When Regina’s body deflated, Emma slowly pulled herself away from between tight thighs, wrapping her arms around a torso that was sliding down and against her own. 

Regina nuzzled into Emma’s neck, panting, and occasionally releasing a whimper as her hips still moved with aftershock. 

Emma’s nail trailed up Regina’s back, as they both rested on the floor, Emma on her knees and Regina practically in her lap. “You okay?” She whispered into Regina’s hair. 

A nod, signalled that Regina was more than fine. 

“Do you wanna move to the bed?” Emma closes her eyes, as she leaned further into the radiating warmth. 

She nodded again, as her way of saying she did. But Emma grew confused, when she began to lift them up, and Regina refused to let her move. 

“Regina?” Emma laughed lightly with confusion, as the woman inhaled against Emma’s neck.

“What?” With an exhale, Regina’s warmth spread across the column of the blondes neck, goosebumps rising to the surface. 

“I asked if you wanted to go to the bed and-  _ oh _ ” Emma trailed off, a soft sigh leaving her lips as Regina hotly latched onto her skin, first caressing it with her tongue, then sucking, before nodding her head up and down, and  _ biting.  _

Of course Regina was a biter. 

When Emma’s hold subconsciously loosened on the older woman, Regina began to slide down her lap. With a delirious hum and lick of her lips, Regina pushed herself up, her sex temporarily in front of Emma again, then vanishing as she holstered herself onto the bed, crawling towards the head of it. 

When Emma turned her torso around to watch in confusion, she was greeted with the sight of Regina in a very provocative position, on her hands and knees crawling up to her pillows, before sinking down into it and propping herself on an elbow, tilting her head to look down at Emma with the most beautiful smile Emma had seen yet. 

She was sweaty, her forehead glistening with sweat, both her lips and cheeks flushed. The hand propping her up was halfway in her hair, which roused it up on one side, and all of a sudden Emma’s appetite spiked to one thousand. 

With a new found determination, Emma stood up from the floor, only then noticing she was still fully clothed. 

When Emma looked up from her wardrobe, she watched as Regina slowly sat up on her bottom, her eyes raking her figure in both a hungry and disappointed way, as she wanted the clothing  _ off _ .

“Emma” It was nearly a childish whine, and it had Emma smiling as she unbuttoned her shirt, her eyes never straying from Reginas, whose eyes were watching Emma’s fingers delicately remove buttons. 

Emma was expecting Regina to wave her hand, and remove the blonde from her clothes all at once, but it never happened, so Emma’’s movements never ceased. 

There was one problem, though. 

Emma had every right to feel confident in herself. And she always had. Because despite the hefty amounts of junk food she consumed, she still worked for her physique. She had abs, a line running down her obliques and to her underwear line. Defined, strong arms, and legs that were solid, all the while managing to look just woman enough...well,  _ feminine.  _ Her breast had always helped soften the look her body gave off, and she had always been blessed with a wonderful rear...but- when you’re standing at the foot of...well, the bed of Regina Mills, as the woman eats you up with her eyes all the while looking like a goddess… you lose your confidence. 

Emma’s movements didn’t falter in the slightest, as she removed every piece of her clothing one by one. 

When she removed her last items, being her underwear, she ran a hand through her long, blonde locks that had begun to curl in certain places due to humidity, sheepishly looking at the foot of the bed before beginning to crawl onto it. 

“Hey” Regina sensed the change in the air, as she watched Emma pull grow closer, before reaching out and pulling Emma into her lap. 

Regina did her best to keep a one tracked mind, which was proving to Emma Swan how breathtakingly beautiful she was, but it was proving difficult as Emma’s sex rubbed against her abdomen before the blonde settled in her lap. 

Swallowing, Regina looked into those beautiful eyes, both hands toying with the ends of Emma’s hair that fell to cover her breast. “You are beautiful, Emma.” Releasing one strand of hair, her hand splayed across Emma’s chest, drawing a line down towards her abdomen with her fingers. “I couldn’t exactly fathom how beautiful you were the moment I first met you.” Emma’s eyes fluttered, as her stomach twitched, and her heart fluttered at the intimacy of the situation. 

Regina’s hand continued to slowly trail lower, as she spoke. “But once I learned the depths of your heart…” Emma’s back straightened when Regina’s hand neared her sex, two fingers forming a peace sign as they lightly traced the outside of her vulva. “My god, Emma. You take my breath away when I least expect it.” 

Emma shuddered, her lips falling near Regina’s, but never against them, when fingers slid against slick heat. Noses rubbing together, Emma closes her eyes as her hips begin to move with painfully slow fingers. 

“Breathless” Emma whispered against Regina’s mouth, who had yet to take another breath when she first ran her fingers through wet folds. 

With a small smile, Regina pressed her fingers in slow circles around Emma’s clit, speaking as a soft whimper left the blonde, and hands dug themselves into her shoulders. “Completely” 

Regina’s left arm wrapped around Emma’s torso, splaying itself across the blondes back, tangling in long locks in the process, as her right hand moved confidently between the blondes legs, drawing breathy sighs and moans from the writhing woman. 

As Emma’s hips began to move, Regina ducked Emma’s lips to capture a sweaty clavicle between her teeth, which tensed every time Regina’s fingers hit that one spot that sent bolts of pleasure through Emma. 

Regina had never performed on another woman before, as she was always very selfish during her years as the Evil Queen in the enchanted forest, but gathering from her experience as..well, a  _ woman,  _ Regina had an idea of what to do. 

And right now, she aimed to tease. 

When she felt Emma’s whimpers become more begging, she opened her mouth and flattened her tongue along the expanse of Emma’s neck, as her fingers simultaneously slid down and entered the blonde, who tensed in pleasure immediately, back arching slowly. 

“Regina” When Emma moaned the brunette's name, she almost halted in her tracks at the painfully familiar thob between her legs, but finding the will to continue, she thrusted her two fingers further into Emma, who reached her arms around the older womans back, scratching as red marks left a trail along flawless skin. “Fu-uck” 

The more Regina curled and plunged her fingers, and the more wet sounds began to echo from beneath her as the heel of her hand nearly slapped against Emma’s bundle of nerves, the more crass Emma’s comments became. 

And Regina  _ loved _ it. 

Regina leaned back, as she watched Emma’s face parade with sex and pleasure, every feature Regina regestered only pushing her to work harder, veins popping in her forearm as her fingers nearly caressed, but the heel of her hand worked roughly against silky folds. 

“Look at me” Regina spoke, after having raked her eyes up perfect flesh that trembled with Regina's movements. 

When Emma’s eyes snapped open, she immediately held eye contact with Regina, a sinfully seductive look flashing in them as eyelids struggled to remain open. 

Regina’s entire wrist was glistening, which caught her attention with every upwards thrust as cool air landed across the wetness. 

“God, Emma-” Regina groaned in sync with Emma, who had begun to bounce in rhythm with Regina’s fingers. 

Before the brunette lost herself in Emma’s sensual stares, she doubled her efforts, digging the heel of her palm harder, and her fingers deeper until they stroked a rough patch hidden in the depths of Emma Swan. 

When Regina watched Emma’s eyes squint harder, and heard her throat hitch, she grinned as she began to quicken her pace, pushing up with effort as Emma arose from her lap with every quick and tantalizing thrust of fingers.

A stream of cursed words left Emma’s mouth, before she halted, drawing the deepest breath of air into her lungs, then releasing it with a moan that almost didn’t sound like the typical Emma Swan. 

But then again, it wasn’t. 

“Yessss” Regina hissed, as she watched Emma shake at her peak of pleasure, the sounds of wet palm against wet heat still echoing, before a shuddered groan fell from the blondes lips, as well as her shoulders which fell roughly against Regina.

Regina felt Emma’s walls tighten and relax multiple times, before she decided it was okay to pull them from the warmth that was encasing them. And when she did, she received a sigh of contentment, which left her heart sappy. 

When Emma sat backwards, she caught Regina who was then staring hungrily at her fingers which were coated in Emma’s arousal, top to bottom. 

Her eyes floated to Emma’s, who was sitting back watching her expectantly, observing her next motive.

But what Regina had in mind was probably one of the dirtiest things Emma Swan had ever done. 

Regina looked into Emma’s eyes, as she took her fingers and smeared them across her lips, withdrawing her hand once they were shining enough to reflect the little light in the room. 

Reaching around for the base of Emma’s neck, she pulled her in for a kiss that could easily put either woman on their deathbed anytime soon. 

Then, like icing on the cake, as one woman pulled away for a temporary breath of air, Regina’s fingers found their way between the two of them, the brunettes tongue running up the length of digits, eyes never straying from Emma’s as she tempted her to do the same.

And she did.

Tongues occasionally brushed, as they both cleaned up the blondes stickiness off of Regina’s fingers. 

After withdrawing her hand, and after one final kiss, the two women looked at one another in a way that said-  _ Did that shit just happen?  _

And in a second they were breaking out into a fit of giggles. 

“Holy hell, that was kinky” Emma chimed in, as her cheeks flushed with pure and utter happiness. 

“You haven’t seen anything” And Regina wasn’t lying. She was an Ex Evil Queen after all. 

With a wriggle of her eyebrows, both women collapsed onto the bed beside another giggling like school girls. 

_ They were so in love.  _

_ And also…..really freaky in bed.  _

_ Besides the point. _

__**__**__**__

Belle walked towards Cora hesitantly, who was sitting with her legs crossed in a chair across the room. 

“Ahem-” Clearing her throat, she watched frightening eyes lock with her own. “I think I-” 

“Out with it, Dear.” The Queen of Hearts stood from her seat, expectantly looking at Belle. 

“I think I found what you're looking for.” She held out the book, as Cora stepped closer to survey it. 

A large, toothy, and evil grin spread across her face. “Well what do you know? You’re actually useful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hella long. Hope you liked it *Wink* 
> 
> Leave feedback! :)


	15. Next Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I am yours.” 
> 
> Regina sniffed. “Mine?” 
> 
> Emma nodded her head. “Yours.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a way, this was my way of giving you a temporary break from the Drama before It took off for good. 
> 
> I also felt that more insight on Emma and Regina's relationship was needed, so this is really fluffy.
> 
> So, with that said, I should also warn you that there are a couple of NSFW snippets, as well as angst.. and again, a lot of fluff.
> 
> ENJOY!

“ _ Oh-  _ GOD”

Regina squirmed, as she muffled her cries with an arm between teeth. Emma’s face was buried between a deliriously wet Regina’s legs, knees almost touching her chest as the blonde groped under her knees and pushed them for leverage. It was then that Regina had discovered....Emma Swan eats pussy like she’s on  _ death row _ and it’s her _ last meal.  _

The past week Emma and Regina had been inseparable love birds with an obsession for the L word. And after discovering they broke a curse they weren’t even let in on, they were at it like rabbits. 

And one would think... _ where does someone find the time to indulge in such a sex life?  _

Well recently it seemed as though they had all the time in the world. StoryBrooke was peaceful, as the Sheriff and Mayor took more and more days off of work. 

To do things. 

Very  _ naughty  _ things. 

And it was around their third sexual escapade, that Emma really had to stop for a moment and consider what she was getting into, because as Regina’s hand neared her throat and a hot tongue slid through her own lips as far as it could reach....

Well, she realized Regina was probably the freakiest, dirtiest, filthiest, yet  _ sweet  _ lover she had ever had. 

Emma also noticed that, once they crossed that line, things were only getting deeper. And with this knowledge,  _ Regina  _ soon learned that the simple uncrossing of her legs during a normal town meeting would arouse a flustered blonde to the point of ushering people out and bending over a desk.

It was kind of funny, actually. 

But it made perfect sense to the two of them, as they were both severely damaged, rejected, misunderstood, and hot women… who simply enjoyed sex, and  _ loved  _ one another. 

But the _ filthier _ the sex, the  _ fluffier _ the afterglow. 

And it always ended with  _ I love you. _

  
  


__**__**__**__

“Do you  _ not  _ have a gag reflex?” Emma stared hysterically at Regina, who was bent over her bathroom sink, a toothbrush scrubbing robustly at the back of her tongue, stark in her birthday suit.

Eye’s locked through the bathroom mirror, as Regina simply rolled her own, before spitting the remnants of toothpaste out of her mouth. 

“Gag reflexes are for children.” The woman royally patted her mouth down with a hanging towel, as she turned to greet a wide eyed Emma, who was choking on thin air. 

“I- gag reflexes are-.. _ What _ ?” Laughing under her breath, Regina brushed passed a speechless Emma as she worked her way into her walk in closet, The astonished Blonde following close behind. 

Flipping through her large array of clothing, the older woman chewed her bottom lip as she reached for a blue dress, with a black stripe that sits around the neck, before holding it out for Emma to survey. 

“What do you think?” Regina turned her head to her left as she took in her own appearance next to the hanging dress, a floor to ceiling mirror plastered on the wall. “Too vibrant? I think I’ve worn it before, I just-” She mumbled to herself before Emma slid in behind her, wrapping her in a large hug, comically rocking them back and forth. “What are you doing?” 

“Hugging my girlfriend.” The blonde mumbled against Regina’s shoulder, as the rocking gently slowed. “Which I can do whenever I want. So...yeah.” Emma’s arms squeezed, pulling a boisterous laugh from Regina, who had dropped the dress in order to grab onto strong arms. 

As laughter died down, Emma paused her movements after giving a solid peck to Regina’s neck, lifting her head to look in the mirror at the woman's reflection. 

“I love the blue dress.” She sighed as her chin rested on a shoulder. 

“You love the blue dress?” Regina asked deliriously, as she closed her eyes and leaned into Emma. 

“Yes. I love the blue dress.” Another peck. 

Regina hummed, before extracting herself from Emma and turning towards her, throwing her own hair behind a shoulder in the process. 

She grinned cruelly, before teasingly whispering, “Then I'm wearing the black one.” 

__**__**__**__

  
  


“What is this?” Regina held up a blue box with a written  _ kraft  _ across the front, as she watched Emma slowly stir a pot of noodles on her stove. 

“Uh- mac and cheese? The kid was hungry.” She scoffed, “Who am I to-” 

“We do  _ not _ feed our son cardboard!” The older woman stood flabbergasted, as though Emma swan  _ actually  _ cared what her body consumed. “And for  _ breakfast? _ ”

Emma placed the wooden spoon on the counter top, as she took a step back and turned towards Regina. “We aren’t feeding him cardboard! You’re holding the cardboard in  _ your hand. _ ” She whined, her voice proving clueless. “Plus, if it’s edible it’s edible. Breakfast can be anything you want it to be.”

With a sigh, Regina dropped the empty box into the garbage can, attempting to hold back a smile and failing, as she watched Emma contemplate dumping the food in Regina’s honor. “As if that could pass as  _ edible. _ ”

“Just leave it, Dear. If you’ve lived this long-” She tilted her head as emphasis, “then I suppose a small helping wont murder our son.” She walked passed Emma, lightly brushing her palm across the blondes lower back as she reached for her car keys on the counter. 

“I’ll be back, soon.” She sighed, observing Emma who was reaching to turn off the burner. 

When Emma stood back, she shifted towards the older woman, encasing her in a hug as she placed a swift kiss on her cheek, first. “How long do you want me to stay? I don’t have anything to do today, or- that I know of at least.” 

Pulling away, Regina smiled softly at the timidness in Emma’s voice. “Well, this meeting, which- I still don’t get the point of.” She straightened out her  _ blue  _ dress, “Shouldn’t take forever. I was thinking a day in might have its...benefits.” With a mischievous grin, she watched Emma’s eyes light up like a child's would on Christmas morning. 

“Benefits?” 

“Mhm.” 

“What kind of...benefits?” Emma took a slow step forward, as Regina shook her head and took one back. 

“Stick around and find out.” 

At the pout on Emma’s face, she softly laughed, before squeezing the woman's hand a final time. “I’ll see you soon, Darling.” 

Emma most definitely had pepe le pew eyes, as she watched Regina begin to track backwards. 

“Love you” Emma watched Regina halt, a toothy grin spreading across her face, eyes softening. 

“I love you  _ more _ .” And in second, she was in the foyer and out the door. 

Yeah, if Emma Swan was a cartoon character, she’d  _ definitely  _ be Pepe le pew...Heart eyes and everything. 

_ But this time she got the girl. _

__**__**__**__

  
  


“So when are you and Ma getting married?” Henry side glanced at his mother, as they both sat on Regina’s couch feeding their faces. “Cause’ I want to know who’s walking down the aisle and all that. And what’s my position? Like if Mom is walkin-” Looking up, he caught her facial expression. “ _ What _ ?”

“Oh- my god, Henry.” Emma looked bug-eyed at her son, her hand freezing mid air, the stray macaroni noodle falling from the fork. “I-....” The sound of metal against porcelain sounded as Emma dropped her utensil, eyes falling to the center of the coffee table as wide as before. “ _ Why _ are we talking about  _ this _ ?” In a hushed tone, she asked her son. 

Unblinking, Henry slowly reached to pull the bowl from Emma’s unmoving hand, replacing his own empty bowl that now rested on the table. “ _ Because _ you’re both in love.  _ Because _ you have a son together.” He tilted his head, and widened his eyes to prove his point. “ _ Because _ you both practically live together, now. Which, by the way, is totally awesome.”

With every  _ because  _ that fell from his mouth, Emma’s jaw only fell more slack, her eyes widening at the last comment. “Kid, We don’t-”

“And when did you get so good at video games?” He cut her off, oblivious to the mayhem her brain was wrecked with. “Aren’t you too old for that?” 

She sat upright. “Woah, kid. Okay-” Raising her hands, she turned to look directly at him. “First off, I’m not old. I’m pretty sure we are like….of the same generation.” She wryly shook her head. “Second off- your mom and I don’t  _ live together.”  _

“Yeah, uh- I know that. I never said you did. I just said that you’re-” 

“Practically living together! Yeah, I know.” 

“Yeah but I said  _ practically,  _ which means  _ almost,  _ which means you’re like...one step away from being Uhaul lesbians.” He smugly grinned, watching as his dork of a mother flipped out behind her eyes.

“Uhaul-” She blinked, shaking her head. “Uhaul  _ WHAT _ ?” 

“Uhaul lesbians.” He slyly stated.

“Yeah. I got that. How do you know what that is anyways?” She folded her arms over her chest, as her son turned back towards the television, ignoring her aside from his responses. 

“I’m not as uneducated when it comes to the rest of the world as you think, Ma.” He grabbed the remote, flipping through channels. 

She sighed. “How is that even-” 

“Family guy is on! Ah man, you have  _ got  _ to see this!” He looked excitedly at his mother, then back to the t.v as he dropped the remote down at his side.

With a huff, Emma shoved herself further into the couch, turning her lower body towards the television as she held her eyes on Henry. “I hope you know this conversation isn’t over.” 

As the theme song began to play, the two settling into the depths of the couch, Emma began to mutter the tune subconsciously. 

“You HAVE seen it?” Henry looks at his mother with curiosity. 

“Of course I’ve seen it.” She sighed, then pointed at the screen. “Now watch the show, this is a good episode. Ts’ probably like- the absolute  _ coolest  _ retelling of The Empire Strikes Back.” 

  
  
  


And  _ that  _ is how Regina finds them an hour later, wrapped up together under a blanket, gripping their abdomens in fits of laughter. 

“WhoDunnit!” Henry rolled towards his mother, tears straying his eyes as Emma wheezed, her head hitting the back of the couch. “I bet it was stewie!” She choked. 

Standing in an observant position, Regina raised her chin, doing her best to not just simply roll her eyes and walk away, as Mother and Son had a blast. 

_ But _

Henry Mills was by no means allowed to watch such foolish things, despite how hilarious Regina may or may  _ not  _ have found the occasional episode. 

“What in God’s name are the two of you doing watching this-” She shook her hands. “Imprudent and childish trash!?” Blinking in question, she crossed her arms in an authoritative manner. 

Looking like a deer caught in headlights, Emma dropped the blanket she held around her shoulders, quietly muttering an “oh shit”, as Henry sunk deeper into the sofa, a look of remorse falling on his face. 

Regina cleared her throat, as eyes traveled back and forth, before Emma and Henrys settled on each other for approximately 3 seconds, before an unrealistic fart was released on the television leading the both of them into another round of boisterous and obnoxious laughter. 

Throwing her hands in the air and admitting defeat, she turned around waving an informal wrist in the air, heels marching off on the wooden floor. “Idiots”

Would she have it any other way?  _ No. _

  
  


__**__**__**__

With cooling down laughter, Emma tracked up the stairs of the mansion to search for a heated Regina Mills. 

“Regina?” She childishly slid on her socks across the slippery floor, as she arrived at the door to the master bedroom, before pushing it open. “Gina’?” 

Peeking her head through timidly, Emma’s eyes fell upon a sight that like many others, sent palpitations to her heart, but this one in pure love and adoration. 

Regina lay face down in a slew of pillows, head to toe in her professional and Regal attire, as a hand lazily and blindly drew patterns on the duvet, proving to Emma the woman was still awake.

Smiling softly, Emma tip toed closer to the bed, almost careful in her approach as to savor the beauty of Regina being so... _ not put together.  _

She playfully hummed, “Regina?” as she slowly slid onto the bed, soon all fours resting on the side of the brunette, who remained face down and unmoving, aside from that hand. 

Emma’s hair fell in her face as she leaned over, so with a hand she quickly pushed it behind her shoulders and to one side, before gently rocking from palm to palm, the bed moving in the process. 

A sigh. “Baby?” 

_ Ah.  _

That gauged a reaction out of Regina, as the woman’s hand froze, a second later her head slightly turning as an ear shifted into sight directly in front of Emma. 

Smiling, Emma leaned forward and languidly pressed her lips to the spot below the older woman's lobe, as she knew it was one of Regina’s favorite places to receive affection. 

Pulling her lips from soft skin, she sat upright, her body resting right in the dip of Regina’s back. “Why won’t you talk to  _ meeeee _ ” She whined childishly, shaking herself up and down in the slightest.    
  


Still receiving nothing but silence, Emma folded herself until her breast pressed against shoulder blades, stomach flush against back. 

When her cheek smooshed itself against Regina’s, the blonde heavily and dramatically sighed. Before wriggling herself into place. 

“I love you” It was soft, and it was whispered with all of the love Emma could muster, which was always a lot when it came to Regina. 

A few seconds of silence passed, as Emma still received nothing. And if she had known she’d be so hurt by Regina not responding to  _ that,  _ she wouldn’t have chosen now as a time to say it. So, ignoring the dull throb in her chest, she sat up, extracting herself from the woman as she pushed herself off of bed sheets. 

“Fine. I’m gonna go take a shower.” Emma huffed, her previous affection replaced by annoyance, as she quickly moved for the master bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind her, as she was never one to slam doors having grown up on the receiving end of  _ many. _

Regina lay in the same position on her bed, a realization only coming to mind once she heard the water start running. 

_ She didn’t say I love you back. _

While it was something that was said between the two of them all the time, both women needing constant reassurance, Regina seemed to forget that with Emma…

It was a little different. 

The two of them had previously sat together, having the deepest of conversations like they normally do, when Emma shared the fear that wrings itself along with the word  _ love.  _

As a foster kid, Emma had grown used to the term getting loosely thrown around, new parents using it on her as though it would make her feel more welcome, when really it made her want to run because they had the  _ audacity to _ throw around such a word. 

And there were few people Emma grew to love as well, love and  _ trust,  _ at said foster homes. For a short while, she grew comfortable with telling people, like the occasional kid who needed to hear it, and would  _ say it back.  _ And the rare but existing people who just  _ really  _ had that look in their eye. But one day... in fact the  _ last  _ foster family Emma was with... she quit saying it. 

Because when she told the woman she almost considered  _ mom  _ that she loved her, the woman simply turned away. 

Turns out that’s all it takes to wound someone for the rest of their life. And Emma Swan could not fathom the ache that followed behind such a burden.

Regina pushed herself up from the bed, as she walked towards the bathroom door, the faintest sounds of sniffling mixing with water on tile. 

As her heart plummeted, Regina lightly tapped the door, before reaching for the knob and twisting. 

“Emma?” Steam had already begun to fog up the mirrors, reflection still visible though as water hadn’t been running long. 

“Emma, Sweetie.” Regina stood in the center of the bathroom, her feet resting on top of Emma’s discarded clothes. 

Sighing, she began to undress herself, as sniffles continued to echo through the warm room. 

Emma faced the tile, as she held her hands at the side of her neck, the water cascading down the opposite, when she heard the faint sound of the cloudy glass door sliding open, and then closed. 

Cold arms slowly wrapped themselves around her torso, rousing a gasp at the sudden change in temperature, when the rest of Regina soon found itself pressed flush against Emma, cheek resting on shoulder. 

Sniffing, Emma found her voice, annoyance and hurt still evident. “What, can’t handle silent treatment?” She softly bit, malice at all four corners of the rhetorical question. 

As Regina felt her heart squeeze, she squinted her eyes closed as she reasoned with a response, simply landing on an apology. 

“I’m sorry.” It was whispered against damp skin, regret floating out in breathy words. 

When Emma deeply inhaled and sharply exhaled, Regian felt her begin to turn in her arms. 

Coming to face each other, Emma’s eyes were slightly red around the corners, but not enough to be questioned when seen by anyone other than Regina herself. 

When Emma stepped into Regina’s space, both women soon wrapped their limbs around the other in silent forgiveness, breasts intimately pressed together, as hands stroked their backs. 

“Why wouldn’t you talk to me?” Emma mumbled against Regina’s skin, the brunette absentmindedly playing with wet blonde locks that looked shades darker. 

After a moment of silence, and contemplation of her answer, Regina spoke. 

“I had a bad afternoon. And when I got home, I-” she raised her eyebrows, though none could see them. “Well I wasn’t expecting to find my teenage son watching such inappropriate content with his other mother who also happens to be my  _ girlfriend. _ ” Squeezing Emma’s side, Regina tucked her face into Emma’s neck further. “It just set me off. I overreacted due to my current frustration, And for that I’m sorry.” 

Emma gave a soft and short laugh, before slowly pulling herself from a now warm embrace. “You had every right to be upset with me about that. I should be a more responsible mother, it’s just-” She searched Regina’s eyes, hands stroking the woman's stomach. “I don’t like when I upset you. And I thought you not speaking to me was my form of punishment, but-” clearing her throat, she looked down at the tile floor, and at their touching toes. “When I told you I loved you. And you didn’t say it back…:” 

“Hey, look at me-” Regina brought her pointer finger and thumb beneath Emma’s chin, slowly supporting it as she searched for eye contact. “I love you, Emma.” Smiling, Regina reassured and repeated. “I love you.” 

A kiss on the cheek. 

“I love you” 

A kiss on the other. 

“So-”

A nuzzle of noses.

“Much.” 

And their lips connected. 

__**__**__**__

“Let’s play 21 questions” Emma watched Regina peer over the edge of her reading glasses and book, heads at opposite sides of the bed as they rest in comfortable silence. 

“I didn’t ask for the day off to sit around playing adolescent games, Dear.” Regina sighed, before turning her attention to her book once more, ignoring Emma’s childish whines of protest. 

“But-” Emma abruptly closed her mouth, catching the brunette's direct death glare. 

“I’m reading.” 

Emma began to fiddle with the wrinkles in the duvet, as her head lolled back and forth in boredom, her Girlfriend still entranced in some Dean Koontz novel. 

A dramatic sigh. “99.9 percent of your job consists of reading. Aren’t you tired of it?” Propping herself on her elbow, Emma continued to peer at Regina. 

The older woman huffed in mild irritation, before slamming her book shut, and pulling her glasses from her head far too quickly than usual. “Fine, Emma. Let’s play your ridiculous game.” She adjusted her position against the headboard. “And for the record, reading is educational. I see no limits in pursuing and furthering said education.”

With a toothy and vexations grin, Emma sat up crossed legged, supporting herself on her arms as her eyes casually roamed her own legs. 

“How does this game work, exactly?” Regina sucked her cheeks in, rolling her eyes to the side as she admitted defeat. 

“Okay, well we have two options.” Emma bounced with excitement, as she tilted her head. “One, we can play the super clean version and ask normal everyday questions, which-” She puckered her lips, voicing a  _ mwah  _ before continuing. “I know most about you. Or I think I do.” A shrug. “Or we can play the  _ naughty  _ version.”

“ _ Naughty _ ?” Regina queried in curiosity, and mild grimace. 

“Nauhty, Dirty,  _ sexual- _ ” Emma winked. “All of the above?” 

Regina’s demeanor softened, turning slightly playful as she continued to get comfortable, a hand casually settling over Emma’s foot. “If you wanted to get in my pants, all you had to do was ask, darling.” She deviously grinned. 

Emma’s eyebrows shot to her hairline, as she released a hushed and near flustered “I know that.” 

As Regina wriggled her eyebrows, Emma scoffed in feigned playful disgust. “I just want to get to know you.” She innocently commented. 

“Sexually ?” Regina pushed. 

“You-” Emma toyed with her words. “Could call it that.” 

A few beats of silence, air filled with contemplation. 

“Alright.” She tapped Emma’s foot. 

With a fist pump to the air, Emma whispered a victorious  _ “Yes!”,  _ before plopping back down on her back, staring at the ceiling. “I’ll go first.” 

“You do that.” Regina hummed. 

“Favorite position?” Emma lifted her head in the slightest, expecting Regina to hold a shocking emotion across her face, but she found no traces. 

“With a woman? Or Male?” Strokes continued along the top of Emma’s foot, almost bringing out a soft hum as it was comforting in the slightest. 

“Hm-” Emma closed her eyes. “Both.” 

With a click of her tongue and a sigh, Regina settled on an answer. “I prefer to be on top, during sexual encounters with the...opposite sex.” She ran her free hand through her hair. “Get the job done faster.” 

Trying her very best to  _ not  _ imagine Regina mounted on top of a particular forest boy, Emma spoke. “And a woman?” 

A soft and throaty laugh sounded from Regina, as the older woman eyed the younger woman. “Well I’ve-” She tilted her head. “Only ever performed such….things on you.” A soft but prominent blush flooded her cheeks. “But I always enjoy....” Her chest expanded. “Queening.” And it deflated. 

At first, Emma was confused, having been a while since she had heard the term  _ queening _ , but as soon as she realized what Regina was getting at, her eyes expanded by tons. “I- you like-” 

A tight smirk arose on Reginas lips, as she watched Emma sit up on her elbow, to look into her eyes. “You like face sitting?” 

Regina’s face contorted. “Well it just sounds crude, when you put it like that.” 

“Regina!” Emma shook her head in arousal and disbelief. “You just told me you like  _ face sitting- _ ”

“Queening. But go on” Regina cut in. 

“Okay, fine.  _ Queening.  _ But how is that... _ not  _ crude?” 

Regina’s face fell in the slightest. “So it’s not your thing?” 

Emma’s eyes widened even more, a hysterical scoff begging to release itself. “Regina, Face si-” A sigh. “ _ Queening,  _ has got to be the absolute  _ hottest  _ thing, I don’t-”  _ Know how to fathom the information I was just given because I would love for you to sit on my face.  _

With her smug and confident grin back in place, Regina smiled. “Duly noted, Dear.” Caressing Emma’s heel a bit too invitingly, she continued. “My turn.” 

As Emma reeled in her thoughts, she cleared her throat, waiting for Regina’s turn. 

“Would you ever roleplay?” Regina laughed lightly, watching as Emma’s face contorted into a slight grimace. 

“I mean, I’m all for sexy outfits and name calling, but-” She blew hummed. “Roleplaying just isn’t for me. Is-” She pushed herself up, leaning forward as her hands began to rub her kneecaps. “Is it...for you?” 

A dark laugh. “No, Dear. Role playing is not for me, though if you were interested I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But it doesn’t interest me in the slightest.” 

“Hm, okay. Cool.” Emma pushed herself forward, her hips lining up with Regina’s, legs too long to stay outstretched so she folded them. “Any-”

“It’s my turn. You repeated _ my _ question.” Regina grinned. 

Emma smiled and huffed, as Regina’s grin grew, falling at the last minute, as her eyes slowly grew hooded in the slightest. “Would you-” She was almost shy, as she huffed internally, her timidness at broaching the question aggravating. “Be opposed to...say-”

Emma tilted her head, as she allowed Regina to time to finish her question. 

Clearing her throat, Regina restarted her sentence, start to finish. “Would you ever use a strap on?...on me?”

_ Oh-  _

_ OH _

_ Hmph  _

Regina watched as a sudden switch in demeanor took over Emma’s posture, her eyes growing a shade darker, all the while a sweet smile resting on the surface. 

“Absolutely.” It was almost whispered, as very explicit images fluttered her brain top to bottom. 

Sitting in what was a second or more of sexual tension, Regina grinned, before breaking the silence. “Your turn. Em-ma.” 

“Hm. Right, okay.” rolling her shoulders, the blonde hummed. “Any kinks? That I don’t know about?” Emma grinned, as she watched a cloud of  _ something  _ roll behind chocolate eyes. 

“Nope.” 

Emma raised an eyebrow, her lie detector pinging. “Regina” She pushed. 

“What? I don’t have any.” 

“I know when you’re lying.” Emma grinned in victory. 

Regina sighed, rolling her eyes in order to hide her embarrassment. “I just don’t feel comfortable sharing it. That’s all.” 

“I won’t push you, but-” Emma grabbed the older woman's hand. “You might be depriving the both of us from some  _ incredibly  _ mind blowing sex.” 

“Is it not mindblowing now?” Regina teased, as she knew the answer. 

“Oh- babe, it’s more than mind blowing. It’s mind-....” She squinted in concentration. “Spitting. Mind spitting.” 

“You’re an idiot.” 

“An idiot who also has kinks. And maybe we share the same-” 

“Emma” She sighed. 

“I know, I know. I said I wouldn’t push but..you just don’t understand that I’d do some  _ freaky _ shit for you, and most importantly... _ Enjoy  _ it.” Emma tilted her head, as to say  _ what’s stopping you? _

Silence filled the air, as Regina took a large breath. 

“Anal play, Emma. That’s…Just…” Her face was as Red as Emma’s on a summer day, as she averted her eyes. “I’m pretty sure it was taboo at the time, but- as the Evil queen, I had once encountered someone who had a...fetish, or- call it what you will.” Her voice slowly grew stern, not in anger but as to find encouragement. “Turns out I discovered a few things about myself that night.” 

An unreadable expression crossed Emma’s face, as their eyes held and never strayed. “If that’s weird, we don’t have to go there, I just-” 

“I’m jealous.” 

Regina tilted her head in query. “What?” 

“I’m jealous. Of this-..  _ person. _ ” The blonde crossed her arms. “I’m jealous that they’ve been where I haven’t.” A huff. “But I’ll fix that.” 

Regina’s eyebrows shot to her hairline, as she took in the seriousness of Emma’s statement. Deciding it was a good time to move on from the subject, as the two would most likely end up busying themselves in.. _ other  _ activities...Regina nodded her head and looked at Emma. “What about you, any kinks?” 

“I have a lot of those. But-” Emma hummed. “Choking.”

A sensual grin spread across Regina’s face, as it was just up her alley. “I’ll remember that.” 

__**__**__**__

_ She remembered. _

Regina’s torso lay flush against Emma’s bare heat, as the blonde's arms and legs wrapped themselves around the older woman's slender frame, every rock sending a vibration through the walls as the bed collided with force. 

One hand keeps Regina propped up, and provides leverage, while the other hand grips almost dangerously tight around Emma’s throat. 

Regina had almost begun to worry that she went a little too far. 

But then, Emma’s vocal praise only increased, so Regina thought no more of it. 

Somehow, having Regina pressed up against you, as she sweats and pants and releases the occasional grunt due to the force and effort she puts into getting you off...well, it makes sex truly mindblowing. 

Like, forget the whole rub one out with someone and then orgasm. 

The whole fucking thing was an orgasm. 

And with every slippery thrust of Regina’s hips, the brunettes sex occasionaly slid agasint the blondes, igniting what was possibly a thousand fires.

Also...Emma really  _ does  _ love being choked. 

_ And Regina loves to choke her. _

__**__**__**__

“Ugh” Henry gagged on air, as his mothers rounded the foyer, entering the kitchen hand in hand wrapped in robes. Emma’s white, Regina’s black. “You know, I really want to accuse you both of having to endure the walk of shame…but I see no shame. And that makes it even more disgusting.” Still releasing the occasional and fake gag, he moved to place his bowl of cereal in the sink. 

“Are you eating  _ cereal  _ for dinner? You haven’t even given me the chance to cook anything!” Regina stomped towards Henry, peering her head into the sink as to observe the bowls remnants of food. “And what have I told you about dumping your leftover food in the sink? It can clog the drains, Henry.” She huffed and placed her hands on her hips. 

Emma slowly stalked over towards the pair, receiving a glare from Regina who began to rub her temples in distress, as she moved towards her refrigerator. 

She smacked the boy on his back. “Really kid? Way to get rid of the afterglow.” Shaking her head in disappointment, she noticed Regina was muttering incoherent things beneath her breath, beginning to place things on the counter with force. 

“Wow. Your mom  _ really  _ hates when you break her food laws.” Emma smacked her lips, sorry for the boy. 

Pausing, Regina turned to look at the both of them. “It’s not like I ask for much.” She narrowed her eyes, as mother and son stood side by side, almost protecting themselves with the other. 

“I-” Emma squinted her eyes and reared her head, as she noticed Regina’s attention was on her. “Don’t look at me! I did no such thing! And-” She bowed her head. “I never leave food in the bowl!” 

“That is true.” Henry nodded, before glancing between the two. “Welp, night moms.” 

“Night?” Regina subconsciously grabbed the ties of her robe. “It’s not your bedtime for another hour and a half.” She pouted. 

“I don’t  _ have  _ a bedtime.” He glanced at Emma, raising his eyebrows when she pitched in. 

“He’s probably going to talk to his  _ girlfriend. _ ” The younger mom teased, watching as Regina’s face contorted into one of horror. 

“Yep. See ya!” 

The thundering sound of feet on stairs was the only present noise, until Emma changed that. 

“You forgot he had one of those, didn’t you?” Emma rubbed Regina’s bicep. 

“I forgot nothing.” The brunette gave Emma one last glance, before turning around, busying herself in dicing food. 

“Wait- if Henry already ate why don’t we just order in?” She softly grabbed Regina’s hand, after she slipped in behind her. 

“What, take out from grannys?” She spoke as though disgusting. 

“....yeah?” 

A sigh. 

“I suppose I didn’t feel so up to cooking, anyways.” Regina exhaled, falling backwards into Emma’s arms. 

“What did you feel up to….doing?” Emma grinned against fabric. 

“God- woman you are  _ insatiable. _ ” Regina turned around, throwing her arms around Emma’s neck. 

“Can’t help it” It was muffled, as their lips connected. 

__**__**__**__

“Reaching out!” Emma sang, as she turned up the radio in her bug, watching Regina slowly trudge towards her office. “Touching me!” Regina turned around, “ Touching you!” The dorkiest grin spread across both faces, as Emma pretended to hold a microphone, her car just barely strolling. “sweet carolineeeee” 

As the chorus repeated, Emma widened her eyes to beg the other woman to join. When Emma noticed Regina shoving her hands in her pockets and looking all directions, she knew she won. 

“SWEEEEEEET CAROLINEEEEEE!” They both sang in unison, only breaking out into laughter once one turned away from the other, and music began to fade as Emma’s car window rolled itself up. 

__**__**__**__

“So...are we just...gonna pretend that Rumple isn’t missing?” Emma looked at Regina, who had joined Emma in the sheriff's office for lunch. 

With a lazy wave of her hand, Regina scoffed. “Oh please. I’ve known the fool plenty long enough to know that wherever he is-” A beat. “He’s just fine.” 

“Okay, well-” Emma spun herself in her chair, only to end up in the exact same position. “What about Belle?” 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows. “What about her?” 

“She’s been super distant! Like she’s...keeping something from us.” Emma grew serious, until she shrugged physically as well as emotionally. “Oh well. I’ve enjoyed the peacefulness of StoryBrooke lately.” Sniffing, she pulled her lips to the side. 

“I never thought I’d hear that sentence again.” Regina laughed, as she moved around Emma’s desk receiving a questioning look from the woman. 

Pointing at Emma’s lap, she raised both brows. “This seat taken?” 

“The only throne fit for a queen.” Emma grinned smugly, her arms swiftly wrapping themselves around Regina’s waist, the older woman throwing an arm around Emma’s shoulder. 

Once the two were settled, Emma pecked Regina’s cheek, finishing it off with a raspberry. 

“Emma Swan!” Regina reached around to feel her cheek, and wipe it of wetness. “You’re such a-” She laughed, when Emma cut her off. 

“Childish, adolescent, halfwit and incompetent idiot?” She teased, as she spun the two of them in her chair, Regina giggling, but also bracing herself for a fall that was very much capable of happening. 

A sigh. “Yes.” 

“Hm.” Emma feigned a hurt expression. “You wound me.” 

“Aw, my poor baby” Taking Emma’s cheeks in her hand, Regina squeezed as she mocked a pout. 

“Pft, I’m not a baby.” Emma fought back, though she grinned the whole time. 

“Is that so?” Regina pulled away, searching Emma’s eyes. 

Furrowing her eyebrows in suspicion, Emma mumbled. “Well, yeah.” 

“Hmm” The brunette tilted her head, eyes trailing all over Emma’s face. “I don’t believe you.” 

“Why not?” Emma huffed. 

“You seem to respond  _ plenty  _ when I call you Baby.” Regina teased, raising one eyebrow.

“Well, that’s-” Emma choked. “Hey, that’s different. Of course I’m-” She blushed, tucking her head into her chest. 

“Hm?” Regina trailed a finger down the bridge of her nose. 

“ugh, whatever. I’m your baby.” 

“Thought so.” She pulled Emma into a slow kiss, before they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. 

It was Snow. 

“I hope it’s not too soon to suggest this, but I think Regina should wear the dress” She grinned, the smile morphing all of her facial expressions. 

“Mom!” 

“Snow!” 

__**__**__**__

“You are such a cuddler.” Emma stroked the back of Regina’s neck with her thumb, as the two lay on the older woman's couch, Emma on her back and Regina directly on top of her with a nose in the blonde's neck. 

“Nonsense.” Regina mumbled, as 24 hours worth of exhaustion weighed her down drastically. 

“It’s okay. I’ll keep it a secret.” Emma whispered playfully, before wrapping her arms tightly around the brunette, who instantly melted and cooed as if on instinct. 

The two lay in content silence, as  _ Apollo 13 _ plays on the television in front of them, Emma’s thumb pulling a soft purr from Regina. 

Emma felt herself begin to drift into sleep, before her body registered a cold and sticky wetness on her neck, right where Regina’s face was planted.

She originally assumed the woman had fallen asleep and began to drool, but when she felt a silent shudder take place in the other woman's chest, her body began to panic. 

“Regina?” 

Like a ticking bomb, the second Emma spoke the woman's name, sobs wracked her body head to toe. “Em-ma” It was a painful clench on her vocal chords, as she felt Emma attempt to sit up, the brunette curling up further into her as to hide her face. 

“What is it? What’s wrong? Gina’?” Emma continuously questions the older woman, who appeared small and fragile, as she shook in the arms of her lover. 

After a few sharp inhales of breath, and shaky exhales, Regina spoke, after pulling back, automatically straddling Emma as she came face to face with the woman, wiping her nose in the process. 

“I love you.” It was quiet and small, like it was their first time saying it, but under bad circumstances. 

“uhm-I love you, too.” Emma furrowed her eyebrows, as she ran her thumb along a trail of tears. “What’s going on? What happened?” 

“I just really, really love you. And that-” Regina painfully whined, as her sobs wracked heavier but remaining silent. “That in itself is a curse. For you, because my love brings  _ nothing  _ good.” She tilted her head backwards, avoiding eye contact. “And for me...because I have to live with it. Knowing that-” She released a sarcastic laugh. “The woman I love is permanently doomed, because she loves  _ me _ .” She poked her chest with her pointer fingers, as she held back hiccups. 

“Regina- I..” Emma sighed, before quietly sitting up, and wrapping Regina in a bone crushing hug, which made Regina cry more. 

“Listen to me.” She pulled back, before brushing a strand of Regina’s hair behind her ear. “Your love hasn’t  _ doomed  _ me. Despite what you think, your love has made me a better person. It’s made me  _ happy, _ Regina. And you know what? I’m not allowing anything to ruin this. Because This-” She paused, to add weight, moving her hand back and forth between the two of them. “This, Regina...is  _ special. _ No curse or- Evil or wicked mother can come between us. Okay? Not this time. Not  _ ever.  _ Not as long as you’ll let me fight with everything I have alongside you.”

Emma watched Regina, who had grown silent, and begun nodding her head in soft understanding.

“I am yours.” 

Regina sniffed. “Mine?” 

Emma nodded her head. “Yours.” 

Closing her eyes, Regina sighed. “Okay.”

__**__**__**__

“Why are you waiting so long to split them apart?” Belle looked sideways at Cora, who continued to spy on her daughter's intimate moments. 

“Because, Dear. The longer they are together, the closer they grow. Therefore, the larger the heartbreak will be. I’m not holding back” She tilted her head. 

“So what is your next move?” Belle swallowed. 

“My next move? Oh no, bookworm. The next move is yours.” Cora grinned. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Before any of this can be executed properly” The older woman sighed. “You’re going to find a way for Emma Swan and her son-” She held out her hand, palm up as she magicked a valve in the center. “To consume this.” 

“What? Why?” Belle knew not to bite back, but the least she could do was ask questions. 

“You _ fool _ .” She turned abruptly towards the younger woman. “How else do we tie Emma’s emotions to Henry's heart? The embicles broke the first curse. So now, it’s time for another one.”

_ And then, they would resurrect Daniel.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is my motivation. Also, I'm accepting prompts for one shots if you're interested in leaving a few. 
> 
> Much love!


	16. 8 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 8 Days. 
> 
> Regina and Emma were given approximately 8 days to feel normal. To build a stable relationship, and to be happy, and feel at peace. 
> 
> But there was always something getting in the way of it. It was just inevitable. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut this chapter in half because...well.... 
> 
> Cliffhangers. 
> 
> Content warning! 
> 
> Enjoy!

_ 8 Days.  _

Regina and Emma were given approximately 8 days to feel normal. To build a stable relationship, and to be happy, and feel at peace. 

But there was always something getting in the way of it. It was just _ inevitable.  _

**_._ **

Belle stood at the entrance of the sheriff's station, eyes twinkling with doubt as she held a container in her hands. A container of her so-called  _ famous  _ soup. 

Cora had sent her off on a mission. She was to arrive at the station, bribe Emma into eating the soup, or possibly even force feed her,  _ “If it comes to it”,  _ and then run for the hills until there is a time appropriate for Henry Mills to also undergo the potion. 

Belle was supposed to do that. 

But she was having doubts. 

Many Hours, Belle had spent in the library-  _ correction, _ Many  _ sleepless _ hours... researching what she only perceives to be the most evil and vile work. 

And it is all for a Man who would only do the same. And that makes her  _ just as much  _ of a villain, she believes

Rumple was her silver lining, though she knew his return would most likely only bring more of  _ this.  _ But she was too far gone to back out now, if at all. 

But this is to play out as  _ murder.  _

Belle was not a murderer. She was a good guy. 

_ Love makes you do wicked things.  _

Or as Cora would say- 

_ Love is weakness.  _

Ignoring her inner turmoil, Belle huffed before pushing open the entry to the station with her side, and walking in as though she was on a mission. Which-  _ she was. _

Coming face to face with Mulan, she tightly smiled. “Mulan! Where is Em-ma..?” 

“The office.” She furrowed her eyebrows, as she pointed, before turning her attention to the bowl in Belle's hands. “What is that? Smells-  _ great. _ ” 

“I’m glad you think so!” She grinned impatiently. “I’ve got to get this to-” Trailing off, she tilted her head in Emma’s direction. 

“Right.” Mulan nodded in hidden disappointment. 

Walking with new found purpose, Belle strutted into Emma’s office. 

Knocking her heel against the door frame, she spoke. “Hello.” 

“Belle?” Emma turned in her chair, confusion written all over her face, as she tilted her head. “What are you doing here?” 

“I brought you something!” She slowly walked closer to Emma, who was watching the bowl in her hands suspiciously. 

“It’s soup. I made it as a  _ thank you.  _ “ She extended her arms, shoving the container into Emma’s hands. “And as an apology. You’ve been through a lot recently, and-” 

“I really appreciate that, Belle.” Emma hesitantly smiled. “And I- haven’t exactly been doing a whole lot. I mean storybrooke has been pretty quiet, don’t you think?” She sighed, as she lifted the lid off, mumbling a soft,  _ It smells great.  _

“Yes! Yeah-  _ of course _ . I guess I just felt the need to do something for our sheriff, is all.” Belle fought to remain unsuspicious, but she knew Emma had a good head on her shoulders, as she watched the blonde's eyes twinkle in curiosity. 

“Well, it’s appreciated.” Silence. 

“Oh!- I was just-” Belle gestured towards the container. “I’d like to know what you think. I haven’t made it in a while. It was always a favorite.” She lied. 

Sniffing, Emma reached for a plastic spoon that was originally sitting on the lid. “Alright, well-” 

Lifting the food to her lips in merely a second, Emma swallowed its contents. 

A soft hum. “That’s _ amazing _ ” 

With the sudden urge to run, Belle ducked her head. 

“I’m glad you think so.” 

__**__**__**__

_ Two hours later.  _

“It says here that Resurrection is one of the powers or spells that are against the laws of magic that allows the caster to resurrect someone back from the dead.” Belle huffed, grimacing as she watched Cora roll her eyes dismissively. 

“And another book also said  _ The Curse Of True Love's Kiss  _ couldn’t be broken by  _ true love's  _ kiss. Why trust it in the first place?” Cora stated. 

Sighing, Belle closed the book. “Well I have yet to find  _ how  _ you plan to resurrect in the first place. All these books say” She waved her hand over the table. “Is that it’s  _ not  _ possible. So, enlighten me..” 

“An amulet.” Cora distractedly spoke, as she leered into the distance with concentration. 

“An amulet?” 

“No. A SeaHorse.” Cora snapped. “Yes, you idiotic  _ fool.  _ An…  _ Amulet. _ ”

Belle straightened her back. “I haven’t heard of anything or- or even come across it in these books.” She swallowed. “How does it resurrect?” 

A sigh. “It is an amulet that can resurrect those who are caught between life and death.” A beat passed, as she glanced towards Belle. “At the cost of another's life.” 

A dark and non existent cloud loomed over Belle, as she shook her head in denial. “No one else is going to die. You can’t keep taking innocent lives!” 

Cora scoffed. “Who said this person was innocent?” 

Slowly moving towards Belle, she sneered in a hushed tone. “If you expect  _ any  _ of this to work out for you, I suggest you follow my rules. My commands. My  _ everything _ .” She snapped her fingers. “Or I just might have someone in mind to sacrifice  _ after all. _ ” 

“You are  _ Evil. _ ” 

Cora laughed, in agreement. “That I am.” 

“Do you even have it?” Belle swallowed, as she feared the answer. 

“What, the amulet?” Cora smirked. 

When Belle nodded her head, Cora rolled her eyes. “Well, I haven’t been doing  _ nothing  _ this past week. Of course I have it.” 

A gulp. “Where is it?” 

“It’s right where it needs to be. And with a few altercations, it’s ready to use. I just need someone to sacrifice, and the ashes of a heart.” She grinned with all the patience in the world, as she watched a show of horror and remorse take place behind bright blue eyes. 

“Ashes of a heart?” Belle choked. 

“I need a piece of the man before he is resurrected.” 

“Where are you getting ashes of a-  _ of a heart _ ?” A beat. “ _ His _ ashes?” 

Cora laughed wickedly, as she waved her hand over a nearby mirror, an image of Regina’s vault coming to view, including a small box that rested neatly in a corner. 

“I know my daughter like the back of my hand.” 

__**__**__**__

“Regina!” Emma sighed happily, as she watched Henry and the older woman walk into the station.

“Hello, Dear.” 

“Hey, Ma!” 

Henry un-gracefully plopped down onto the chair opposite Emma, before his eyes locked with an empty container to the left of Emma. “Did Belle bring you soup, too?” His eyes shined as he leaned forward to double check the emptiness. 

“Uh- yeah.” Emma tilted her head, querying Henry, as she simultaneously Reached out to pull Regina closer and hug her waist from the sitting position. 

“It was  _ so  _ good. Man-” He groaned, reminiscing on the flavor. 

Regina hummed, stroking Emma’s head. “He ate the whole thing right  _ after  _ eating the monstrosity you call lunch. She brought it to you, too, though. I wonder why…” 

“Hey-” Emma weakly patted Regina’s rear, their son grimacing at the contact. “It was a  _ good  _ lunch-” She glanced up into brown eyes. “Also, the soup was supposed to be a form of thanks. I guess now I know she just probably cooked a bit too much.” Sighing, she pulled away, as Regina leaned back against the desk and crossed her legs. 

“PB & J is for children who still prefer their crust cutten off of their sandwiches.” Regina looked pointedly at Emma, who feigned being offended. 

“Mom, tell her about how Belle wouldn’t let you eat any.” Henry knocked on the desk, as to get her attention. 

Regina bit her cheeks and raised a brow. “It seems the occasional citizen is still afraid of my opinion for it is too...frank.” 

“I think you would have liked it.” He sighed, leaning back in the seat, throwing his fit up on the edge of the desk. 

“Well, I suppose I’ll never know.” Looking to her son, she dropped her smile and glared, the boy quickly dropping his feet from the beaten wood.

“Well-” Emma broke the silence, both mother and son looking at her expectantly, Regina holding a soft smile in place. “How is my beautiful family doing today.” She folded her hands, and leaned back, softly kicking Regina’s calf with her foot. 

“Better, now.” Regina spoke through soft eyes, before Henry cleared his throat. 

“Mom always wants to be with you. It’s kinda gross.” He sniffed, before picking at the chair. 

Emma swooned, as she rolled her eyes at her son. “Well, I always want to be with your mom, too.” She scooted her chair forward, Regina sitting at her left looking down at her. 

After a moment of silence, Regina sighed. “Well, we were coming to ask if the sheriff was off duty tonight. I’m making lasagna.” She smiled. 

“Uhm-” Henry leaned forward. “About that…” 

Regina sighed. “What, Henry.” 

He scratched the back of his head. “Violet and I are-” He watched both eyes snap to him. “I’m taking her out to grannys. Alone. Just us.” 

Regina’s face contorted into one of disgust. “I think that is-”  _ not happening.  _

Emma cut in. “A  _ great  _ idea.” She side eyes Regina, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. 

“Thanks, Ma.” He smiled at Emma. 

A loud exhale filled the station. “You’re wearing your nice button up.” Henry’s eyes lit up. 

“And for the love of all that’s good and Evil,  _ please  _ bathe before hand.” She begrudgingly suggested. 

“Sound’s good.” He shook his head.

Emma smiled at Regina. “Guess’ it’s just you and me, then.” 

“I suppose so.”

__**__**__**__

  
  


In a puff of dark purple magic, Cora appeared in the center of Regina’s vault. 

Trailing a finger along the mantle of the stone wall, she grimaced as dust flew in the air. “Well, she truly  _ has  _ lost herself.” 

As she slowly walked around the stone floor, she took in the coldness of the area, a shiver almost rising within  _ herself. _

“There you are” She shook her head, picking up her pace as she reached for a sealed metal box, similar to the one Regina kept her father in.

With a sickening grin, she inspected all sides of it. “Time to wake you up. Stable boy.” 

__**__**__**__

“The blood from the person who wronged him most” Belle stood, hands gripping the spell book as she watched Cora inspect the ashes in the box. 

She looked at Belle, before conjuring a knife in her hand, slicing her palm with ease. “What else?” The older woman spoke, as she lifted the box in one hand, and walked to the center of the room. 

“The-  _ crevices  _ in the amulet...your blood needs to go there.” She pointed, as she held the book in hand, watching Cora squeeze her palm over the amulet. 

“Keep going.” Cora bit out, as she healed her hand seconds later.

“His ashes. They need to cover the amulet, which needs to be placed in the centermost spot of the room.” 

“It already is.” Cora carefully dumped the ashes over the amulet, watching as the jewels lit up red. 

Her eyes grew with interest, as she grinned in victory. “Now what?” 

“Whisper his name, and the reason you- you want to bring him back.” She gulped, the temptation to leave the room growing steadily, until she heard the locking of doors behind her.

A moment of silence filled the library, Cora’s eyes flashing with an unplaceable emotion, almost appearing as though she felt a tad remorseful. But that in itself was nearly impossible. 

“Daniel colter.” She whispered. “I need you to break Emma Swan’s heart.” She held her breath, as her body remained frozen.

And in seconds, the room began to fill with a soft wind, that as it reached the pile of ashes, grew nearly 6ft tall, whipping in all directions like a miniature cyclone. 

Her eyes twinkled. “ _ Yes _ ” It was a whisper of victory, as Cora tumbled backwards in astonishment, the form of a man arriving beneath moving ashes.

And in seconds, before her stood Daniel. The same attire he wore the day Cora felt the grit of his heart through her leather gloves.

_ The stable boy. _

What came from his mouth, Had Belle stumbling in fear and guilt, as her head began to swim as well as her eyes. 

The man began to blink his eyes frantically, then lifting his palms, observing them and furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. After moments of silence, the man huffed, looking up and into the eyes of his own murderer. 

A beat.

“How do I break it?” 

Cora giggled, dumbfounded in amazement at the monster she has created.

“By doing what you’ve always longed to do.” She sighed. “Love my daughter.” 

__**__**__**__

Emma groaned, hands squeezing the sides of her head. “I feel like someone has crawled into my ears with one of those big monk drums, and their like….going  _ crazy  _ with it.” She spoke to Regina, who watched the blonde curl up on the sofa in her office, as the older woman kept busy with work. 

“I’m sorry, Dear. I’ll try to be quiet.” Regina signed her signature at the bottom of a sheet, confirming her presence as a council member at the next meeting, when Emma broke the silence. 

“What are you doing?” She sounded weak, almost like a clump of something was sitting in the back of her throat. 

Emma Swan was a pansy when it came to migraines. 

“Mayoral Duties, Emma. Nothing you should concern yourself with.” Regina replies sweetly, though she was trying her best to concentrate and Emma was making it slightly hard to do so with her moaning and groaning, and tossing and turning. 

Regina caught Emma’s arm raise pointedly to the ceiling out the corner of her eye, before she heard Emma speak in slurs. “I’m greatly offended. I’d love to hear about your-  _ Mayoral duties. _ “

Regina sighed. “Is that so?” 

A silent thumbs up was her answer. 

“Well, the members at the head of the council board would like reassurance that I will be present at the next meeting, since I have to apply my opinion and make strategic choices for the sake of this town, and drive action into these local authorities.” Regina grimaced as she spoke, lazily flipping through papers on her desk. 

“That’s hot. Tell me more.” Emma grudged, throwing her hand flapantly. 

Regina smiled and rolled her eyes, before continuing. “I’ve got to appoint and remove a few department heads, soon. Current ones such as the town  _ sheriff  _ have been lacking on their job.” She teased, watching as Emma’s head fell in her direction, eyes remaining squeezed shut. 

“Okay, I am a very hardworking sheriff, for your information. It’s not my fault StoryBrooke has suddenly gotten boring.” She whined.

“You think StoryBrooke has gotten boring?” Regina teased, watching the twitch in Emma’s eyebrow begin to move from across the room, as the blonde opened her eyes to meet brown ones.

“Well, not...certain aspects...such as the people..-” Emma trailed off, when she watched Regina’s brow raise, in an  _ oh, really? _ “I mean, a person..” 

“Hopefully not, otherwise I’d have to step up my game.” Regina laughed lightly, turning her attention back to her desk. 

“Step up your game?” Emma smiled, before squinting her face from the small throb surrounding her features. “What would that consist of, exactly?” 

Regina toyed with the end of her pen, before sarcastically answering. “Oh, I don’t know. Romantic gestures, poems declaring my  _ undying _ love and devotion. Flowers every night, with the occasional case of white chocolates….” She tilted her head. “Oh! And of course leaving random sticky notes all over the place. And I’d sign all of them,  _ from your not so secret admirer.  _ “

“You’ve really thought it all through, haven’t you?” The blonde teased, as she almost  _ felt  _ Regina roll her eyes. 

“All I can think about.” 

“Poems declaring your love and devotion…” Emma trailed off. 

“Mhm.” 

“Flowers... _ every  _ night _? _ ” She gasped. 

“Why, of course.” 

“White chocolates?” The blonde kissed her fingers, as to say  _ yummy.  _

“Don’t forget the random sticky notes.” Regina pressed. 

“I could never. Especially when they’re signed,  _ from your not so secret admirer. _ ” Emma already felt her headache subsiding, being here with Regina. 

A smack of lips. “Only the best for her royal highness.” 

Giggles subsided, as a cloud of silence filled the room, before Emma spoke again. 

“I hope you know you’re a great girlfriend, Regina.” 

Regina froze, slowly looking back towards Emma, whose eyes were already on hers. 

“What?” It was a whisper, one that surprised Regina herself when it left her lips, as she was unaware of how much she  _ didn’t  _ believe that. The disbelief that floated out with it. Or- well…

She just knows she could do  _ better.  _

“I just thought you should know. You’re a good girlfriend.” Emma spoke once more, as she watched Regina take in the statement. 

Regina really was a great girlfriend. And sure, she did occasionally bite at Emma when she had a rough day. And she also sometimes ignored her out of utter pettiness, which like many women, she can be petty. 

But she also was one of the most understanding individuals, making Emma always feel welcome and at home, whether in Granny’s diner or the middle of some street. She made sure Emma stayed full, and fed her _real_ food... and she made sure she had somewhere to rest her head at night, as Regina ran her fingers through locks until she herself fell asleep. She complimented Emma _All the time_ and made her feel beautiful when Emma physically felt her lowest... But most of all, she made Emma feel loved.   
  


Each night Emma’s head hit the pillow, she felt _ joy.  _

And joy is a mindset that Regina taught Emma to hold onto. 

As knuckles gripped the edges of her swivel chair, Regina watched as Emma sat up, eyes never straying. “You don’t believe me?” It was a question, until Regina dipped her head. “You don’t believe me.” 

Regina swallowed, eyes closing when Emma cleared her throat, catching the woman's attention as she patted the spot next to her, asking the brunette to join.

Regina sighed, lifting herself from the chair, blushing with shame as she felt like a child whose mother called them over to inspect a boo boo. 

“I want you to remain completely silent, as I-” Emma waved her hands comically, adding an unnecessary lightness to the situation. “Tell you how wonderful you are. Mkay?” 

Regina started to open her mouth in protest, when Emma cut her off with a choking sound. 

“Hush. Just for a minute. Then you can return to being that professional Mayor you were when I walked in.” At that, Regina raised an eyebrow, a small smirk littering her face. 

“You know how I grew up, okay? I just-.. wanna start by saying that. I didn’t believe in fairy tales...and I was always alone. I was so alone, that I was  _ okay  _ with being alone.” Emma gripped Regina’s hands in hers. “I was self dependent, because from the moment I was born, I had been done wrong by  _ people.  _ Granted, now I see the whole picture...but...I didn’t then. So right off the bat, I had this mindset that-, Nobody will ever love me. I’m trademarked unworthy because I was left on the side of a road as a newborn baby with nothing but my name on a crocheted blanket.” Emma swallowed, her throat stingy as she reminisced. 

“Group home after group home, and foster family after foster family...and I was  _ always  _ the little blonde girl that got shoved in a dark closet when she was disobedient. That’s all people saw of me. So eventually...slowly and gradually...I looked at  _ people _ the way people looked at  _ me _ .” She sucked in a shaky breath. “It was years until I trusted someone other than myself. And you know that story..you know Lily and what happened between us. I was just...inevitably wronged-  _ once again. _ And I spent  _ years,  _ Regina...years being wronged by people. And then one day, it became too much, and I blamed myself for others actions.” She paused. “And then I met Neal.” 

Regina’s eyes littered with emotion, as she became enthralled in Emma’s story. “Neal.. he- he- made me think I was more than what I was made out to be. I just-” She scoffed. “I was so deprived of love that I forgot what it was, and  _ anyone  _ could have told me they loved me and I’d believe them. Neal just happened to be that person. The person who gave me a little sense of  _ life  _ after years of starvation. “ She ran her free hand through her hair. “Fast forward, I’m pregnant and I don’t know it, I’m going down for something I’m..I’m not even  _ guilty  _ of-...Neal runs, and I’m lost again. I give birth to a baby boy in prison, and then I get out, and I’m  _ numb.  _ I might as well be  _ dead. _ ” Regina’s eyes flashed with the need to interfere, before Emma continued. “I got a crappy ass job by  _ accident  _ because I was doing stupid shit...and then some how 10 years later….10 years of living in such a way that I clung to everything around me, so tight that it just disintegrated in the palm of my hand...Henry appears.” 

They both share a small smile. “And while that in itself is a miracle...He led me to  _ you. _ And you, Regina...you were liking coming up for a breath of fresh air after drowning below the surface of some salty ocean. You gave me something to live for. It-” She laughed. “For a while there, it might have been unintentional as we were sworn enemies… but you gave me my first taste of  _ life. _ ” Silence, and a sniff. “You made me feel alive without even trying to. Imagine how you make me feel now….” Emma smiled. “You give me more life than I’ve ever needed. Each night, when you whisper me to sleep. Each morning when you kiss me awake. The- the forehead kisses when you think I’m asleep on the couch at 3am…” they giggled. “The way you raised my son.  _ Our  _ son.” A tear seeped from an eye. “The way you fought for me, and still do. And-” She placed a palm on Regina’s heart. “They way you love  _ me?  _ That- is far more than I could ever ask for. I’m living the dream. Aside from the..you know- occasional fire breathing dragon or floating fairies….yeah. It’s- I’m living the  _ dream. _ And I have the best Girlfriend-” She looked knowingly at Regina. “By my side all the while.” 

Regina sniffed, as Emma whipped her tears, and smiled sheepishly. “Okay, I’m done.” She playfully whispered. 

Regina? Regina’s heart doubled in size. And she lunged forward to press her lips against Emma’s, conveying what  _ no amount of words _ could ever say.

__**__**__**__

  
  


Cora and Daniel walked arm in arm down the beach of StoryBrooke, wind whipping furiously through their clothing, as they formed a civil conversation.

“What is she like, now?” He observed the ocean, which was so eerily familiar, while every other building near him was frightening, to say the least. “Regina.” 

“I think it’s best you find out for yourself. I don’t want to cause suspicion by possibly altering your knowledge on Regina. She’s most definitely not the woman you remember.” Cora answered, elegantly placing one foot in front of the other. 

“I’m a little worried. But I- “ He swallowed, bringing them to halt. “Do you think she’ll still love me?” 

Cora begrudgingly rolled her eyes. “You’ve always been her weak spot. She spent years of her live trying to avenge you. Don’t fret, Dear.” 

He sighed, as he took a look at his own actions….

_ Walking amr in arm with his murderer.  _

“What if I don’t want to break this...Emma’s heart? And what If I don’t want to murder her son in the process of doing so? What will you do then?” He searched the depth of her empty irises. 

She laughed. “Oh, as long as you’re here, Emma’s heartbreak will be inevitable, as well as her son's death. You most likely don’t even have to  _ try.  _ Regina has longed for you, has spent  _ years  _ weeping over your death. I’m sure she will flee the insipid blonde woman.” 

“What do you mean _ flee _ her?” He queried. 

“Don’t concern yourself with that. All you need to know-” She tilted her head. “Is that Regina is here. And she’s waiting for you. So  _ go to her. _ ” Cora stated, not allowing any form of question to surface from the young man. 

He swallowed. “Where can I find her?” 

__**__**__**__

“Stay in that position just a- just a  _ second _ longer.” Emma ogled Regina, who was bent over, oven door open, as she checked her lasagna. 

The older woman chuckled, as she turned her head to look over her shoulder at the blonde whose physique rested against her countertop, eyes a bit  _ too  _ low. “I can only remain in this position for so long with the oven door open, Emma. It’s letting all the heat out.” 

“How long can you hold that position  _ with  _ the oven door  _ closed _ ? Just-” Emma squinted her eyes, as Regina straightened her back. “Wondering. For scientific purposes, of course.” 

Regina pulled her head around, startled, as she smirked. “Scientific purposes?” She rolled her eyes. “You mean personal, right? I don’t bend over for just anyone, Dear. Much less a scientist.” 

“But you’ll bend over for me?” Emma grinned dorkishly, as her eyes remained on Regina’s lower half, though the woman was no longer facing away from her. 

Regina quirked an eyebrow. “I bend over for you all the time. Like…” She stepped closer, invading Emma’s personal space. “When we are up stairs, and I’m..” She trailed a finger down Emma’s sternum, lightly tugging at the first button on her blouse. “Bending over to-” She sighed, the teasing deflating in seconds. “To grab the dirty socks you  _ insist  _ on leaving all over the place.” 

Emma whined. “Reginaaaaa” 

“I mean, seriously? And what  _ really  _ gets me..is when you  _ do  _ pick up your socks…” Regina hummed. “You place them by the toaster. Or on the coffee table. Or beside a loaf of  _ bread. _ ” 

“I- what? How did I just go from- from- being  _ seconds _ away to getting some, to- to…” Emma choked, as her eyes widened. 

As the oven timer began to go off, Regina smugly grinned as she turned away. “Go set the table, Dear. I don’t need you ogling my rear, at the moment.” 

As Emma begrudgingly trailed away, she mumbled incoherent words beneath her breath. 

Setting the table, she waited until Regina soon joined her.

“I was out of mozzarella cheese, So I used provolone instead. I hope you don’t mind. It’s probably going to throw off the whole taste.” The older woman waltzed into her dining room, oven mitts on as she carried her large glass dish. 

“My stomach doesn’t disagree with much.” Emma shook her head, as she watched the dish in awe as it was placed in front of the two women. 

Pulling up her chair, Regina settled herself. “Yes, well. Your taste buds are separate from your stomach, Dear..” She teased, as she reached for the serving spoon. “But those don’t disagree with much, either, do they?” 

Emma smiled. “Nope. But here? In this house? My taste buds love  _ everything. _ ” A twinkle of mischief swam in her eyes, as she watched Regina lift her glass of wine to her lips. 

“Everything?” Regina vexatiously queried. 

Emma hummed. “Everything.” 

A blush found itself sinking into Regina’s cheeks, as the two women smiled at one another, a simultaneous heat making itself known in the pits of their stomach. 

The brunette cleared her throat. “Well then-” She tilted her head, calming her hormones. “Let’s eat, shall we?” 

“We shall” 

__**__**__**__

And eat, they did. 

Or- well…  _ Regina did.  _

They were being mature and responsible adults the _ whole time, _ so how they ended up in this scenario was beyond them. 

Regina absolutely did  _ not  _ brush her heel clad foot teasingly up and down Emma’s calf the whole time, until she reached the center of the woman's legs. And Emma  _ definitely  _ didn’t vocalize her love for Regina’s lasagna a bit too much. Or-  _ way too much.  _

But, at some point during their grown-up and mature dinner, Emma abruptly pushed her chair backwards, as Regina made her way to her knees, yanking down tight jeans.

Emma sits presently on the edge of the perfectly carved wooden chair, one hand squeezing her knuckles white on the corner, while the other fist Regina’s hair. 

And Regina? 

Regina would be on all fours, if it weren’t for the one hand that plunges in and out of the blonde from just below the older woman's chin, smearing wetness along her throat. 

Throwing her head back in ecstasy, Emma bumped it on the back of the chair a little roughly, gauging Regina to pause her movements and observe, which the blonde  _ despised.  _

“Fuck- no, don’t-”  _ stop  _

Emma gasped, cutting herself off when Regina added a third finger, which at first proved difficult due to the pressure the position put on Emma’s entrance, but the amount of stimulation it provided once her body adjusted, had her muscles trembling as they strained in devastating pleasure. 

In one fluid motion, Regina used the hand that rested on the floor, to yank her lower half closer to the chair, freeing the hand as she shoved it under Emma’s right knee, holding it mid air as her mouth continued to devour. 

Emma’s moans fell out in rhythm with Regina’s thrust, as she sat on the overhang of pleasuring fulfillment, when a startling loud knock echoed through the foyer and into the dining room. 

When Regina lifted her head, her hand stilling, Emma shook her head speedily. “No- No they’ll go away, it’s-  _ please- _ ” 

Regina eyed the door, before looking back at Emma’s pleading eyes, then down to her glistening heat. 

Making her decision, she moved to dive back in, before the same atrocious knocks drummed through the home. 

Releasing a displeased sigh, and a grumbled slew of curse words, Regina pushed herself to her feet. “I’ll handle it.” She spoke to a sexually frustrated Emma, her aggravation evident as she marched off. “Go upstairs. You’re in view of the door.” 

In a puff of smoke Emma disappeared, before Regina sighed, ready to cuss out whomever was behind the white wood that separated her from the outside world.

She yanked it open. 

And in a second, her heart plummeted as though it was swimming in the depths of a treacherous trench, shattering and fluttering all at the same time. 

“Regina” It was a gasp of air, as eyes moved frantically in dark brown ones. 

“ _ Daniel _ ” 

  
  
  
  
  


8 days. Emma and Regina...were given  _ 8 days.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the beginning, this chapter was cut in half....
> 
> I'm still adding more to the next chapter, but yeah. 
> 
> Leave feedback, and what you'd like to see happen next. 
> 
> Much love <3


	17. Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Evil Queen, in tears and broken hearted over some...hero. 
> 
> But she wasn’t just some hero. 
> 
> She was Emma. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this one!
> 
> Enjoy! :)
> 
> Also- Follow me on IG! @Madison_Claire141 & send suggestions if you'd like! Or prompts and ideas, if you want any written into one shots or possible stories.

_ She yanked it open.  _

_ And in a second, her heart plummeted as though it was swimming in the depths of a treacherous trench, shattering and fluttering all at the same time.  _

_ “Regina” It was a gasp of air, as eyes moved frantically in dark brown ones.  _

“ _ Daniel” _

**.**

She stood stoic, as a large assemblage of gut-wrenching pain weaved through her body in subtle bolts, almost leaving her numb as her mind etched blank, leaving her wordless. 

Her eyes watered on instinct, and softened the same way they did all those years ago, when his heart was ripped from his chest in front of her. When they were going to get  _ married.  _

The universe stilled, as Regina’s  _ everything  _ tumbled down like an avalanche. She was caught between wanting to disappear, and wanting to throw herself in his harms. She wanted to scream  _ how?  _ But she knew any answer would be far too complex to comprehend at the moment. 

_ I-  _

_ How are you here?  _

_ I thought I sent you away.  _

She couldn’t speak, even as he reached out to grab her lifeless hand. 

“Regina?” He looked bothered at her lack of emotion, and her mute attitude. So he did what he would have done years ago, when  _ his  _ Regina would get stuck in such a limbo. 

He hugged her. 

Her body swayed at the sudden contact, his body bumping into hers, an unblinking and unmoving expression sitting still on her face. 

His long arms wrapped around her, squeezing themselves tighter when Regina didn’t budge. And when she caught a whiff of his scent, she whimpered. 

She whimpered because-  _ it didn’t hold the power it used to.  _ It failed to make her insides  _ calm.  _ In fact, her internal sea was raging. 

It was like being trapped in a memory, while your body is present. And when Regina’s body registered the  _ reality  _ of the situation, she inevitably released as sob. Because these arms around her were cold, and felt  _ former.  _ They left her feeling itchy, and restless with a need to scramble away. And they weren't the arms that made her swoon, and feel at  _ home.  _

They weren’t Emma’s. And Regina doesn’t know what hurts more- knowing that Daniel wasn’t fit for her present life. Knowing she had- 

She’d- 

_ Moved on.  _

Or if the ache in her heart is solely caused by the fact that the woman she loves is currently in her bedroom, beneath her covers, as her own scent takes up residence on Regina’s favorite pillow. 

And in either  _ perfect _ timing, or the worlds possible  _ worst,  _ Emma clambered down the staircase, wrapped in Regina’s black silk robe, only stopping at the last few steps to look at the woman who was wrapped stiffly in someone else's arms. 

“Regina?” Emma locked eyes with the man, who peered from over her shoulder, with an unreadable expression. 

Something felt off within Emma’s chest, as she observed the scene, and the fact that Emma saying Regina’s name made her flinch in the way she did. 

“What’s going on?” She hesitantly asked, as she walked around the post and towards the two, the unfamiliar man releasing her and stepping back awkwardly, his hands rubbing nervously at his breeches. Emma noted that his attire wasn’t  _ new.  _

At the drop of a hat, Regina stumbled backwards, bumping into Emma on the way, only pausing once her eyes locked with the blondes. 

Emma’s stomach felt empty, when she observed the cry for help in her favorite eyes, gauging her to look to her right at a pale faced young man, who appeared just as helpless. 

“Who are you?” She looked back at Regina, gesturing to the man quietly. “Who is this?” 

He cleared his throat, taking a slow step towards Emma, who stood with her shoulders broad, as she normally did when meeting someone under rattling circumstances. 

A shaking hand reached out for her own, one of which she stared at quizzically, before slowly returning it. 

“Daniel.” He whispered through the foyer. 

Emma’s hand fell limply, as her expression ran cold, any remaining color in her cheeks and eyes vanishing. A disheartened and desolate look shadowing her face. She knew who Daniel was. She knows exactly what is happening. How? She doesn’t know. She doesn’t  _ want  _ to know. 

But as her heart clambered it’s way up her throat and pinched, leaving her breathless, she raised her shoulders in saddened acknowledgement. 

Regina watched the exchange, the tears in her eyes falling, and her chest shakily deflating when she looked at Emma, who’s eyes rested somewhere on the floor. 

“...Em-ma..” Regina whispered, as she took an usure and tentative step forward, her eyes searching-  _ begging,  _ for Emma’s. 

When Emma cleared her throat, Regina’s eyebrows sunk as the younger woman avoided all eye contact. “Well, I’ll-” She huffed, sadly, faking what seemed to be...second hand  _ happiness,  _ and failing miserably. “I’m gonna go- up..upstairs” She hurriedly brushed past Regina, who instinctively turned with her. 

“Emma- wait-” Her feet moving in the direction of the woman, she turned her head, speaking to Daniel. “Just- I...Wait.” 

Her footsteps thundered, as she rounded the stairs, reaching the top just in time to see Emma weave into her room, leaving the door open. 

Walking swiftly, Regina breathlessly began to speak before she ever rounded the master door. “Emma? I don’t- I don’t know what’s happening, I-” She halted, as she met Emma’s face, who was buttoning up the last of her shirt, and reaching for her jeans. 

She looked…. _ defeated?  _

Silence filled the air, uncomfortably startling the both of them, the sound of moving fabric echoing as Emma pulled up her pants. “Why aren’t you with him?” the blonde quietly, and almost  _ kindly  _ asked. But Regina knew Emma, and she knew that the woman was selfless enough to hide her misery. Which still seeped through cracks of her words. 

“What do you mean? I- why would I be?” Regina stepped towards Emma, who was awkwardly thumbing her front pants pocket, and chewing her lower lip,  _ still  _ refusing to make eye contact. 

“This is-  _ great,  _ Regina.” Emma sadly smiled, finally looking into brown eyes, Regina’s heart crushing as she saw the decision written behind blue green. “This is what you’ve wanted for years, right? That’s- That’s amazing.” She sighed, expressing her pleasure for Regina, before swallowing down the lump in her throat. 

“No-  _ stop that _ .” Regina’s face contorted, expressing anger, which internally felt like fear. “Don’t you dare make decisions for me.” She strode towards Emma, who’s demeanor straightened. “I am not the same woman I was all those years ago, and I am most  _ DEFINITELY  _ not going to throw my current happiness aside for one that- that- shouldn’t even  _ be here!”  _ She was livid, her nostrils flaring. __ “ And If you think...for one  _ second,  _ that I am letting you waltz right out of this...-” Her eyes widened, as she waved her hands around them. “Then you’re wrong.” 

Emma shook her head. “Regina! What the hell? Take-  _ advantage  _ of this!” A beat. “This is the man who you were getting  _ married  _ to for god's sake! You spent years, angry and fighting internal battles that would have  _ never  _ happened, if he wouldn’t have been killed by your mother! You’re just gonna- pretend that never happened?” 

Regina groaned. “Of course not! But I don’t regret any of it! If I hadn’t have done the things the way I did, I wouldn’t have my son, and I wouldn’t have  _ you! _ ” She propped a finger on Emma’s chest. “I would be a  _ fool  _ to even  _ attempt  _ at having a life with him, when I am more than satisfied with this one, Emma!” She threw her hands up, dropping them onto her legs limply. 

Emma looked down in disbelief. “He doesn’t know that, Regina. He’s not going to be able to fathom the fact that you’ve moved on. You’re- My God-” Emma laughed in agony. “You’re his  _ fiance! _ That’s how he remembers you. Are you really going to explain all of that to him?” 

Regina deflated, huffing, before sighing. “I don’t know, Em-ma.” 

“I’m not-” Emma bit her lip, before releasing it. “Listen, I’m not gonna stand in the way. Just-” When Regina began to interfere hurriedly, Emma cut her off. “Just for now. He needs-..He has to  _ adjust.  _ And I know for a fact it’s gonna be hard for both me,  _ and him. _ ” 

The air grew still, as Regina felt a tear stray her eye, Emma’s statement sinking in. 

“Plus-” Emma sighed.  _ You might change your mind.  _

“What?” Regina’s eyes sadly connected with Emma’s, clinging to any words that fell from the blondes lips. 

She shrugged. “Nothing, it’s- it’s nothing.” Emma smiled at Regina, who felt like crumbling to the floor. “I think it’d be selfish of me to stick around, right now.” Emma looked at the door, then back to the woman in front of her. 

“Not if I  _ want you too _ ” Regina pleaded silently, not caring if that made her the selfish one. 

“Regina” Emma huffed, before she shook her head. 

She backed away, thumbs still in the front pockets of her jeans. “He’s still down there.” 

Regina stepped towards her. “I love you-” 

A sigh. “Regina-”

“I love you, Emma.” 

The blonde smiled sadly, raising an arm to brush down Regina’s jaw and to her neck, before shakily answering. 

“You love him, too.” 

Regina deflated in near disbelief and startlement, standing stoic as Emma took a step backwards, channeling her magic. With a wave of her hand, she was gone. 

__**__**__**__

“You can’t be serious!” Cora rolled her eyes, as she took a step backwards from the mirror, Belle standing patiently at her side. “Sometimes I wonder how this human being is the one I birthed. She is  _ nothing _ like me.” 

“And that we are grateful for.” Belle interjected, as she tilted her head. “No plan of yours seems to be working. Have you ever stopped to consider that, maybe it’s not going to happen?” 

Cora laughed. “Child, my plans  _ always  _ work themselves out. Don’t fret. I know exactly what is needed, if Regina can’t open her eyes.” 

Belle sighed. “Yeah, potion this- potion that-.... You aren’t even  _ doing  _ anything. I’m doing all of the work  _ for  _ you! What’s next, are you going to have me slip Regina another potion? Convince her she’s in love with Daniel?” Throwing her hands in the final, she groaned. “I’m so sick of this. I’ve done  _ everything  _ you asked of me. I want Rumple!” 

“Oh-..” At the mention of his name, Cora’s face grew in mischief. “You wanted him?” 

Belle stood squarely. “That was the whole part of our deal. I’d work for you, do everything you asked of me, and you would release him!” Noting the numb look of absence on the older woman's face, she gasped. “Where is he?” 

“I suppose I forgot one tiny detail.” Cora opened her palm, the amulet rising in place, red jewels replaced by black. “Here. He’s all yours.” 

Cora held her hand out patiently, as Belle's eyes widened in disbelief. “What is this? What does that mean?” 

“Don’t play coy.” Cora smiled. “You know exactly what it means, Dear. Here-” She plunged her hand forward further. “Take him.” 

“You-” Belle swallowed, as she shakily grabbed the object, the weight of it transcending to her veins. “You sacrificed Rumple?” 

Cora sighed begrudgingly, looking around the room as to occupy her eyes. “I practically said so. The bookworm has eyes, but not ears, it seems.” 

“Wait-” Belle gasped. “But he’s-” 

“The dark one? Yes.” She evilly grinned. “There is no dark one, at the time being. He’s entrapped.” 

“No, that can’t be possible. That’s not right-” Belle squinted her eyes closed. 

“You know, he was a wonderful master. One thing he taught me-” She took a step sideways, eyeing Belle who was beginning to breathe heavier. “Is that there is  _ always  _ a loophole.” She smirked. “Oh, and-” 

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, as Belle eyed her suspiciously. 

“Never share your true…  _ plans  _ with anyone.” A scoff. “As if I’d let you do the dirty work.” 

__**__**__**__

“You can take the guest bedroom.” Regina was being short. Or well, as short as one can be when their ex lover who isn’t even supposed to be alive shows up at your front door. 

“Oh-...I see.” He dropped his head, gauging Regina to halt in her tracks. 

She looked at him with sorry eyes. “I’m sorry. This isn’t exactly-” 

“Easy. Yeah, I know. I just-” He took a step closer. “I’m so glad that I’m here. I’m so glad that-  _ you’re  _ here.” A beat. “Are you not happy that I am back, Regina?” 

She doesn’t know the answer to that question. She doesn’t look at him and see Daniel, the boy she was in love with at such a young age. But she sees a ghost. The ghost of him, and the ghost of her feelings. 

She inhaled. “I think about you all of the time. But I-” exhale. “Not the way I used to. It’s..been  _ years,  _ Daniel. You have to understand that.” She looked into his eyes pleadingly, the same love he’s always shown for her floating in his pupils. 

He remained silent, almost pleading for her to love him. And what hurts Regina is years ago her love for him was inevitable. A constantly flowing stream. 

The stream still existed. Regina was just- a couple streams over. And she could easily see the  _ young  _ Regina basking in it. But she wasn’t that Regina anymore, though Daniels presence brought back a nostalgic ache. 

“Maybe it’s too late for this. We should-” She swallowed, as his stare grew in intensity. “You need rest. As do I. And then we can talk about this-” He grabbed her arm abruptly, her eyes widening almost with fear, like the time Whale attempted to bring him back.

“You’re different.” He observed. “You’re- not as-  _ soft. _ I don’t know…-” He stepped closer, his body almost pressed fully against Regina’s. “And you don’t sound the same.” 

“I’m a woman, Daniel. I’m no longer-” She looked down at his chest, averting her eyes from his. “A child.” 

His grip loosed, as he dropped his head in defeat. “I love you, Regina. Understand that.” 

“I know, I know-” She smiled sadly, watching as his hand dropped from her bicep. “But you told me to love  _ again. _ ” Searching for his eyes, she furrowed her eyebrows. 

“Did you? Or- have you?” He desperately searched for an answer. 

For a moment, she felt young again. She felt the sudden desperation to make him happy arise within her, the desperation to cling and hold his broad form soak into her muscles. The bright eyes and wide smiles, and childish chaste kisses.  _ The good ones, too.  _

But then she thought back to Emma. And how she presently longs to do all the same. 

_ You love him, too.  _

A sigh. A really loud, really painful, heavy sigh. 

“Yeah. I have.” A beat. “I have a son, too.”

__**__**__**__

It was nearly two hours until sunrise, as a sleepless Regina clutched the pillow that rested on the opposite side of the bed to her chest. Inhaling the smell of  _ Emma,  _ her heart restlessly searched for something to clench around, landing on nothing, in the absence of the woman. 

In the room next to her, lay a slumbering Daniel. 

She had grown so used to the almost silent murmurs that would spill from Emma’s mouth during the night. The ones that would increase when Regina caressed a soft cheek. But now, she heard nothing but the occasional snore that Regina had never gotten the chance to grow familiar with in the enchanted forest. 

_ Daniel snores? _

She would have never imagined him to snore. 

As the older woman’s brain ran absurdly, she began to ask herself the questions. Ones that included Emma, ones that included Daniel, and ones that included both. And then, one that needed more attention. 

_ How is Daniel here?  _

Resurrection was against the laws of Magic. Regina could think of no one here in Storybrooke that would even  _ consider  _ doing such, apart from Rumple, who Emma had pointed out was missing. 

She knew Rumple well enough to know he wouldn't flee from Storybrooke after performing such magic… He didn’t care what people thought. 

And he wouldn’t resurrect Daniel, anyways. So scratch that. 

Not coming up with any possible suspects, Regina thought to the ingredients such Magic would ask for. 

All resurrection magic required blood.

All resurrection magic required a life.

And all resurrection magic required a piece of the person whom you were resurrecting. 

_ Where would someone get- ?  _

Regina abruptly sat up in bed, yanking the covers back in the process, as her body shivered in fear.

__**__**__**__

Her feet roughly padded along the stone staircases, before she whipped around the corner, coming to halt with a look of trepidation on her face. 

As Regina had pitifully suspected, someone had broken into her vault. It had been sealed with blood magic for nearly a year. She had avoided it almost at all cost, in an attempt to forget that side of herself. The last time she was here, she didn’t make it past the steps, before crumbling down in tears over Emma Swan. 

She really  _ does  _ get screwed over the most. 

The faint thumping of her remaining hearts echoed through the room, as her own heart tripped at the noise, remorse casting a death grip. Swallowing, she slowed her steps as she noted the condition of the vault. 

It looked the exact way she  _ wanted  _ it to look. 

_ Abandoned.  _

Apart from the fact that there was a trail along the mantle of her stone wall, where a finger had drug through the pile up of dust.

And it led directly to where she had  _ least  _ hoped. 

_ Daniels ashes. _

__**__**__**__

“All this time….and you’ve been steps ahead of the game? Steps- ahead of  _ me _ ?” Belle sat with visible tears on her cheeks, her posture fatigued. 

“And that surprises you?” Cora tilted her head in question. “I made the smartest one look dumb. Another lesson learned from Rumple.” A sigh. “ Gosh, you know he really  _ was  _ an amazing teacher. I know _ I _ enjoyed him.” She stood with her arms crossed in front of her, as she watched the array of facial expression litter on Belle's face. 

“I could tell everyone, you know.” Belle threatened. “You even said it yourself. Heroes always win. So with- with a slew of them... _ sure _ we will win.” 

Cora scoffed, before trailing closer and closer into the personal space of the younger woman. “Heroes only win when they learn your plan. And this-?” She stood upright, tilting her head to the ceiling in awe. “This isn’t even a plan. This is a raw  _ disaster.  _ And you know what?” 

“What?” She gritted out between clenched teeth. 

“I found another loophole.” Cora winked, as she backed away, disappearing in a cloud of smoke, leaving Belle startled breathless. 

Guilt ridden, she flashed her eyes over the table covered in a large array of books, before stopping on a curious object. With furrowed eyebrows, she scrambled to grasp it in her palm, shakingly sitting back down and hesitantly opening it. 

_ The Curse Of The Poisoned Heart- _

Isn’t that what Cora used to alter The Curse Of True Loves Kiss?

Belle began to think, squinting her eyes in concentration, sweeping the table before another paper glinted at her, almost as though it was calling her name.

Reaching for it quickly, she plopped back down as she unwrapped the scroll-like object.

_ The Spell Of Shattered Sight- _

She gasped.

First,  _ The Curse Of True Loves Kiss…. _

Then,  _ The Curse Of The Poisoned Heart… _

And lastly….  _ The Spell Of Shattered Sight. _

Shaking her head to get rid of a non-existent fog, she straightened her back as she used her brain to put puzzle pieces together. 

_ What happens when you mix the three? _

The spell of shattered sight could easily be altered to fit directly along with either of these curses. The Spell requires the caster to have cultivated Dark Magic for many many years, in order for it to be applied correctly, and if anyone is fit for the job it’s Cora. 

The spell is meant to alter one's reality, in a sense. It makes one see the worst in everything, and everyone. But how is that supposed to ade Cora’s plan? Or-  _ disaster?  _

The Curse Of The Poisoned Heart serves to separate those who love one another, as the touch of a loved one can prove to be deadly. 

The Curse Of True Love’s Kiss simply ruins the Idea of a  _ true love's kiss,  _ by either placing the casters chosen spell on it’s victims once they have shared the kiss, or being...well,  _ fake. _

Cora could easily churn a disaster with the three of them. It would be far too simple, too. 

She could alter the spell of the shattered sight, and possibly make Emma or Regina hate one another. 

She could curse Emma and Regina to remain apart, as being together would be too painful...but as we discovered they are strong enough to break the  _ altered  _ version. What could Cora possibly do?

And in a flash, Belle understood. 

She’s not trying to kill Henry. She’s trying to kill  _ Emma. _

The Curse Of Shattered sight will provide Emma the negativity she needs to see nothing but the wrong she brings to Regina’s life…

While The Curse Of The Poisoned Heart will slowly and painfully seep under the surface, leaving her alone with a slew of dark  _ emotions,  _ apart from physical pain. 

And The Curse Of True Loves Kiss? 

Cora can’t cast the same curse on someone that has already undergone it, so why would she use it in the first place? 

_ Oh- _

She want’s- 

She wants Regina And Daniel to share True Love's kiss.

_ She wants to kill Emma Swan… _

_ And make it look like suicide.  _

__**__**__**__

It was now early morning, as Regina stood in the center of Snow and Charming's apartment..

With Daniel. 

Glass shattered on tile, as Snow stood open mouthed and wide eyed, David sliding beside her as to rouse a reaction. 

“Snow?” He shook her shoulders. 

“It’s fine.” Regina stated. “I expected no less of a reaction. But-” She sighed. “I need your full attention.” 

Stepping aside and to her left, she allowed Daniel to step forward, as she averted her eyes and swallowed. “Someone has broken into my vault. Someone-... capable of breaking blood magic.” She locked eyes with Snow, as David spoke. 

“Well that’s supposed to be impossible..”

“It is.” Regina huffed, placing her hands in the front pockets of her jacket. “Which means someone  _ related  _ to me, is guilty. And that  _ someone….” A beat.  _ “Is my sister.” 

Daniel looked sideways at Regina, furrowing his eyebrows. “You have a sister?” 

“There’s a-.. Better time and place for that discussion. But it’s not now.” She watched Snow, who had abruptly turned towards David, grasping his Bicep. 

“We have to tell her, David.” She whispered just loud enough for all to hear, as Regina stood firm with curiosity. 

“Tell me what, Snow? Now is  _ not  _ the time for _ secrets _ .” Regina bit out aggressively, as she eyed the small woman. 

Daniel flinched upon the statement, which had seemed to surpass Regina, but not Snow, who quickly averted her eyes. 

“And where the  _ Hell  _ is Emma?” She walked in circles, glancing at her phone, waiting on a response from Emma. She needed her help. The Evil Queen always needs her Savior, but right now it was necessary. 

“Just-” David walked towards her, arms crossed. “Calm down, Regina.” 

Snow piped in quietly. “She’s not coming.” 

Ignoring the ache beneath her chest, Regina swallowed. “Well that’s lovely. I’m not sure  _ how  _ i’m supposed to handle zelena and her-” 

“It’s not Zelena, Regina.” David huffed, his eyes snapping from Snow’s to the floor. 

“You’re not making any sense,  _ Charming. _ ” Clicking her heels on the linoleum floor, she huffed. 

The air grew silent, as Daniel watched between the three, a sudden suspicion rising in his gut. How did they know-? 

Before his thought was finished, Snow abruptly broke the silence, speaking words that floated into Regina’s ears like venom.

_ “It’s Cora.”  _

__**__**__**__

“Ma?” Henry speedily walked towards his mom, who sat in the morning fog on a bench beside the lake at StoryBrooke park.

“What’s wrong?” He acknowledged her stoic face and red rimmed eyes, as he hesitantly sat beside her, chest facing her side. “And don’t- don’t say  _ nothing  _ because we both know that would just be a lie.” 

She laughed pitifully, though it sounded more like a huff. “And you know when someone is lying?” 

“Got it from you. Yeah.” He nodded sternly, before placing his hand over hers, the air growing small. “Talk to me.” 

Looking into the distance, she deflated, for a moment leaving Henry positive that she was seconds away from drowning in tears and desperation, but surprisingly to Henry, she began laughing. 

“I don’t know what I was thinking.” She continued to laugh, a sarcastic and hidden pain seeping from the sound as it dissipated into the air. “I don’t-” A halt. 

Looking at her questioningly, Henry squeezed her hand, furthering her to answer. 

The park was eerily silent apart from the occasional singing bird, or flowing water as the center fountain came in and out, the pipes still stopped up. 

“Daniel is back.” She leaned sideways, comically bumping her shoulder into him. “And-... _ Yeah. _ ” She looked at Henry. “Daniel is back, Kid.” 

Henry fixed his slouch. “Daniel? You mean-... you mean-” 

“ _ That  _ Daniel. Yeah. That’s exactly who I mean.” Emma sniffed, before clearing her throat. 

“But..how?” He looked towards the ducks that swam along the dam, before looking back at Emma who tilted her head in render. 

“Don’t know. Everyone is at Snow’s apartments working it out as we speak.” She rubbed her nose with the back of her clothed hand. “And by everyone, I mean- Regina and Daniel….and Of course my parents.” 

“Why aren’t you with them?” He avoided the topic of discussion in the slightest, as he watched his mom’s frightening contentment play across her features. 

“Because I don’t wanna’ be.” 

“But you should be.” 

She snapped her head toward his, pulling down her eyebrows in the process. “What do you mean  _ I should be? _ ” 

“Mom always needs your help with this type of stuff. You should be with her.” He whispered. 

Emma huffed. “Your mom doesn’t need me right now, Henry. She’s got Daniel.” 

Henry scoffed, before quickly adjusting his seating. “Now you’re just being selfish.” 

“Yeah. I’m always  _ selfish _ , Henry.” Emma tilted her head, swallowing down the always there pinch in her throat. 

“No. You’re hardly selfish. But right now? You’re  _ really  _ being selfish.” He paused. “Mom didn’t ask for Daniel to come back, obviously. And if he wouldn’t have popped up out of the blue, I don’t even think she’d be the least concerned with him.” 

“Kid-” 

“No. Mom only knows how to love one way. It’s a one way street with her, Ma. All or nothing.” He shook his head. “She chose you. Why can’t you let that sink in?” 

“Because, Henry. It’s not that simple.” She interjected. “How am I supposed to compete with..with  _ that? _ ”

“No, now you’re just talking in circles. You’re not making sense. Because it  _ is  _ that simple!” He stood abruptly, before looking angrily into Emma’s eyes. “And your decisions are affecting everyone else! They’re affecting-  _ me _ ” He threw his arms out and to the side. 

Emma’s eyes grew sadder, as she deflated. “Henry, I just-” 

“No. Teleport me.” 

“What?” 

“Teleport me. To mom. To the  _ apartment _ ..?” He looked into her eyes, his tone no less harsh as it was moments before. 

“Henry, I-” 

“Just do it! Just- Teleport me! I need to-” 

Emma waved her hands, and he was gone. 

She sent him to the apartment.

__**__**__**__

At the familiar aroma and feel of Emma’s magic, Regina stopped mid-rant, growing wide eyed as she noticed Henry swaying lightly in the center of Snow’s apartment. 

“Henry? What are you doing here? Where is Emma?” She observed him as he blinked several times, his sense of self coming back to him. 

“Uhm- uh…” He sniffed. “She’s at the lake. But I just-” He paused mid sentence, when he noticed a stranger standing stiffly next to Regina who must be  _ Daniel.  _

Noticing the silent interaction, Regina smiled knowingly. “Henry, this is-” 

“Daniel. Yeah, I know.” He shook his head. “Anyways, like I said, Emma is at the lake. And I think you should speak with her.” 

Regina sighed, dropping her eyes. “Henry, it’s early, and-” A beat. “Besides...Your mother and I spoke last night. I don’t think she wants to speak with  _ me. _ ”

“But she does.” He spoke, leaving no room for interference. “Want to speak with you.” 

“Did she say so?” A glimmer of hopefulness fluttered behind Regina’s eyes. 

Henry smiled. “Yeah. She did.” 

And just like that, Regina’s decision was made. 

“I can’t leave Daniel here alone.” She stepped forward, looking between her first love and her son. “Will the two of you be alright here? Or- wherever Henry decides he’d like to take you?” She looked at her son, holding his sight as she watched him nod. 

“We will be just fine, Regina.” Daniel stepped forward, affectionately touching her shoulder blade. “Besides. I’d like to get to know this... _ Henry _ .” He smiled. 

Regina cast a quick glance around the room, before dismissing herself with a wave of her hand.

__**__**__**__

Purple smoke mixed with misty fog, as Regina observed the scene in front of her. Emma sit silently with her legs crossed on the bench, facing the opposite direction, though from the movements in her shoulder Regina could tell she was fiddling with the zip on her jacket. 

She walked closer, almost afraid of breaking the silence. But she did. 

“It’s a little too early for you, isn’t it?” Regina slid around the bench, lightly seating herself directly beside the blonde, who flinched immediately upon the sound of her voice. 

Noticing the small look of hurt that flashed behind Regina’s eyes, she spoke. “Sorry. You scared me.” Emma cleared her throat. “And no. Mulan said she’d cover for me, n’ I didn’t feel like working...so.” 

Regina hummed, before silence fell upon the two, though it didn’t last long. 

“Mother is back.” 

Emma’s head snapped towards Regina, eyebrows furrowed in immediate confusion. “I thought she was... _ deceased. _ ”

“Well, as did I.” Nodding her head disappointingly, Regina sniffed. 

“Did she-” Emma sighed. “So did  _ she _ bring back Daniel?” 

“Well, it would seem so. If not her, then-” Regina sternly nodded her head in displeasure. “Zelena, which…” She whistled sarcastically. “ _ That  _ would be the icing on the cake.” 

A soft laugh fell from the two of them simultaneously, as soft looks were shared. 

“You wanted to speak to me?” Regina furrowed her eyebrows in question. 

“Uhm...no?” Emma huffed. “No offence, I just-” She looked sideways at Regina, then back to the water. “Wasn’t ready for talking.”

A hum. “Seems Henry has something up his sleeve at all times.” 

“Yeah.” Emma deflated into her seat. “Where is he, by the way? I just- want to make sure he’s safe now that-  _ you know _ ..”  _ Your mother….. _

Regina cleared her throat, lightly throwing hair over her shoulder. “He’s with Daniel.” 

“Oh-” Emma laughed passively, but sadly. “Well..” 

“It’s not..like  _ that.  _ He was just there. Henry seemed to already know that Daniel was here, so...:” She looked at Emma. 

“No, no- it’s..fine. I’m glad they got to meet. They should get to know each other.” Emma deflated, as he heart felt a thousand times larger, but  _ only  _ to maximise the pain it endured. 

Regina sighed begrudgingly. “Don’t do that.” 

“Do what?” 

“You know what, Emma.” Regina pursed her lips. 

Averting her eyes, the blonde wrapped her jacket tighter around her fit frame, as nearly a minute of silence passed. 

“I want you to come Home.” Regina leaned forward, searching for Emma’s gaze. 

The woman turned towards Regina, squinting in question. “While he’s there?” A light scoff. “I can’t compete with that.” 

“ _ Argh! _ ” Regina groaned, abruptly standing from the bench. “What is it, Emma? What do you want to hear from me!? What-” She closed her eyes, waving her hands frantically. “Words could I possibly say, that would make you believe that I want you with me!? Or that I...at least don’t want you  _ away  _ from me?” 

Emma rolled her head, leaning forward on the bench as she looked up at Regina, who huffed in exasperation. 

“You love him?” It was rhetorical, but Emma asked anyways. 

“That’s an unfair question-” 

“Do you love him?” 

“I love him, but I love _ you _ !” Regina sighed. “He was my first-”  _ Love.  _

“That doesn’t matter, Regina.” Emma stayed level, as she stood from the bench, hesitantly turning towards Regina. “I can’t - compete - with  _ that. _ ” She punctuated her words. 

A huff. “Why not?!” 

“Because, Regina! He knows things about you, parts of you, that I-” Emma shook her head. “That I’ll never know! It just-” 

“What does that mean? That’s not all. Tell me, Emma.” She gritted. 

Emma sighed, her demeanor growing softer. “I just think that...you know…..” She braced herself, but continued to speak. “I feel like you’re choosing me, because…  _ he  _ doesn’t know about all of the things that you did. And he doesn’t know that you went all-” She sighed. “Evil...for a while. But I do, and it makes it easier for you to just- _ pick me _ . Because you’re worried that he won't pick  _ you… _ when he finds out.” 

Regina looked at Emma with pure bewilderment. “You have  _ got  _ to be joking.” She scoffed. “That is the most absurd  _ bullshit _ that I have ever heard! Emma!” She shook her head quickly. “And it doesn’t make it any easier, anyways-” 

“What would make it easier?” 

“I-... _ what _ ?” Regina annoyingly huffed. 

“What would make  _ this _ easier?” Emma took a step closer to Regina, watching as a sudden sullen look grew across her features, and her normally royal frame rumbled down and inwards. 

“Emma-” 

“I said- What would make this easier, Regina?” 

Regina scrubbed her face furiously, releasing a slew of grunted sounds, as she fought her inner demons.

  
_ This time they won. _

“If you weren’t here! It would be easier, if you weren’t here, Emma! Because I wouldn’t have such a hard time making a decision! And I could just-” She averted her eyes, never noticing the sudden heartbreak behind Emma’s. “Be with the man I’ve wanted to be with since I was a young girl! It’s hard, because you’re here! And I love you! And I just-  _ god-  _ I want to believe that maybe all of those years I spent furious over his death weren't for  _ nothing!  _ But I can’t do that, when I’ve moved on! It leaves me with this gaping hole that I can’t fix!” A slew of emotions fell from Regina’s eyes, as sudden anger, resentment, and heartache released for many reasons. “ _ I  _ feel like the bad guy now! Because.. _ he’s  _ back. But I want  _ you. _ ” 

Emma watched as Regina struggled to keep herself composed, her own heart clenching as she observed. 

This situation was so twisted, yet Emma wanted to blame herself. 

And the sudden realization became easier to fathom, when the words Regina just spoke began to echo through her brain, screaming  _ If you weren’t here.  _

“Would that really help?” Emma almost whispered, as Regina’s chest fell and then rose in a steady pace. 

When Regina tilted her head in question, Emma sighed. 

“Would me not being here really help?” 

“Of course not, Emma. I can hardly…  _ breathe  _ spending one  _ night _ away from you. I don’t want you gone.” Regina sighed, looking pleadingly into the eyes across from her own. 

“Really? Because that sounded pretty truthful. Like- you  _ really  _ needed to get that out of your system.” Emma crossed her arms, hiding the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. 

“Well, I-” Regina whimpered and huffed, as she steadily axed at Emma’s brick wall which was building itself back up. “It  _ was  _ in a sense, but-” 

“That’s all I need to know.” Emma took a step back. 

“No!” It was a near growl. “Don’t you dare-” She reached for Emma, succeeding as she yanked the younger woman towards her, who instinctually gripped Regina’s biceps to balance. “Don’t leave me. You’re all I  _ have _ ” 

Knees grew weak, as Emma almost couldn’t bear to look into the eyes of Regina Mills. But  _ something  _ inside of her was whispering that Emma Swan was  _ never  _ enough. 

Emma was nothing. And Regina deserved-  _ everything.  _

Regina’s cheeks glistened, as she placed a hand desperately on the back of Emma’s, drawing the blonde closer. “Please-” It was whispered against lips, ones that soon connected in what sadly felt far too  _ final _ . 

Regina’s heart broke, as she internally inspected herself. She almost wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation she was in. 

_ The Evil Queen, in tears and broken hearted over some...hero.  _

But she wasn’t just some  _ hero.  _

_ She was Emma.  _

Lips separated, as Regina clinged onto the limbs that slowly retracted and backed away. 

_ “I’m sorry. I really am.”  _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave feedback!


	18. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s Daniel.” He strained.
> 
> Sorry eyes locked with her own, sending the oh so familiar tumbles of fear through her abdomen.
> 
> “And Emma.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my longest chapter, but I have already started on the next one...and.....
> 
> I kinda wanna cry. 
> 
> *Sigh* 
> 
> This is a bunch of plot and drama. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Here is where Regina stands. 

She chooses Emma. 

_ Why wouldn’t she?  _ It’s just- 

A piece of her, on the inside, can’t help but scream  _ this is your last chance.  _ It makes her feel guilty for not leaping into his arms as soon as she opened her front door. It makes her feel guilty for even  _ considering  _ someone else. But Regina knows that, last chance or not, it’s not her happy ending. She’s no longer that  _ person.  _ And she can love Daniel the same way she did all those years ago, and it’d never amount to what she felt for Emma Swan. 

Except, now...Emma is pulling away. And Regina doesn’t know how to handle _ that.  _

Regina has dealt with people pulling away her whole life, sure. But she had never made an effort to prevent that  _ beforehand,  _ and it still play out. So she is left feeling kind of hopeless. 

But if there is one thing she knows....

She chooses  _ Emma.  _ And if she has to wait for all of this mess to blow over to get her back, she will. Because she  _ loves her.  _ And Emma has a record of running when things like this happen. So Regina has decided if Emma Swan wants to run away, she’s running after her. 

Aside from all of that- 

She does have... _ other  _ issues to attend to. Kind of like how Daniel arrived here in the first place, and the fact that it was her  _ Mother  _ who resurrected him.

So now she stands dead center of her vault, as she angrily calls out for her Mother. 

“Where the  _ hell  _ are you?” In the process of turning her body towards different points and areas of the room, she freezes, when a sound of whispering wind and smoke dissipates from behind her. 

“You requested my presence, Dear?” Regina’s back hasn’t moved an inch, and neither has her indignant face, when Cora approaches her from behind, heels clicking on stone. “What a shame that it’d be.. _.under these circumstances _ .” 

Hot, raging, absurdly boiling fury climbed itself through Regina’s insides, her forehead vein becoming prominent, as well as the flush on her chest. Whipping herself around, she nearly knocked her mother backwards at the abrupt step forward. 

“What is your  _ game, _ Mother? What do you plan to do  _ this  _ time!?” Hands fisted at her sides, Regina’s nostrils flared as she intensely stared into her mother's eyes, who seemed to be taken aback by the sudden outburst, giving Regina a well deserved sense of pride. 

As the woman stared at the woman, Cora cleared her throat, deflating immensely. “Can’t a mother just-  _ make up  _ for the wrongs she has inflicted on her child?” She convincingly squinted her eyes, as Regina scoffed, pulling her neck straight. 

“And what? You decided to do so by destroying my happiness... _ all over again? _ ” She stepped backwards, turning away from Cora as she marched around the cold and dark vault. 

“No, actually. And If I remember correctly.. That was  _ your  _ motto. Not mine.” receiving a glare, Cora continued softly. “Regina, Is it so hard to believe I came back to apologize? To- make up for the things I did to you?” 

“It is that hard to believe, actually!” Pointing a finger at her mother angrily, she continued. “You know good and  _ well  _ the destruction your-  _ not so little  _ stunt has caused!” 

“Regina!” Cora feigned insultment. “I brought Daniel back, because I murdered him. Because that is what  _ I did  _ that ruined your whole life, is it not?” Cora sighed. “I’m starting from the very beginning, and I’m righting every wrong.” She grinned, fakishly. 

“No, Mother. I’m not falling for this again-” Regina closed her eyes, as to see the  _ bigger  _ picture, and not the one painted in front of her. “I’m sorry, but you’ve ruined  _ any  _ chance you had at  _ fixing  _ what you did to me.” 

“Regina-” A sigh. “Do you not remember the words I spoke to you before I-” She gasped. “Before I  _ died  _ in your arms?” 

“No, don’t you  _ dare  _ guilt trip me into-” 

“I said…  _ you would have been enough. _ ” Cora tilted her head, smiling sadly. “And it’s true. My Regina would have been enough. So-” She cast a look around the vault. “Here I am.” 

Regina felt the young child who was always controlled and tampered by her mother rise to the surface, as she fought it with everything she had. Cora had her  _ trained.  _

Shaking her head, Regina answered. “I really  _ want  _ to believe that. But whether it’s true or not, you’ve already inevitably caused me more destruction that, mind you,  _ I  _ have to clean up.” 

“What have I done?” Cora stepped forward, reaching for Regina who flinched upon the movement. 

She swallowed, as she contemplated the  _ truth.  _ But with a good head on her shoulders, she shook her head disapprovingly. 

“I’m not taking any chances, Mother.” Walking in the opposite direction, as to put a halt to the conversation, Regina clasped her hands on her chest, a swell of pain rising beneath them. 

And then Cora said something that caused Regina to go nearly wide eyed, as tears brimmed the surface. “I didn’t know you  _ loved  _ her.” The younger woman stared, as Cora locked her hands in front of herself, looking down at the floor. “The Savior. I didn’t know you had... _ moved on _ from Daniel, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten involved at all.” 

Regina stepped forward slowly, tilting her head, as her mother continued. “I’ve been-” A sigh. “Watching the commotion I've spurred... and I want to know how I can fix it.” 

“See, I still don’t believe you.” Regina clung to herself, arms wrapped tightly as she became a child all over again. 

And then there were crocodile tears. “I want to make it right, Regina. I want to-” She huffed, shaking her head. “I want to be a grandmother, to your son. I want to have breakfast with you like mothers and daughters would. And I want to be the person you can come to! The person-” She reached for Regina’s hands, who finally relented. “ _ I want to be the person you can trust.”  _

Regina internally scoffed in the midst of her turmoil, as she eyed her mother and the tears that fell from her cheeks. She sniffed. “I want to believe you-” It was a cry 

“Then believe me!” Cora begged. “Just believe me, Regina. You won’t regret it, I can promise you-” The older woman swallowed, before sighing. “Let me speak to Emma.” 

“What?” Regina nearly gasped in the midst of her state of grief. 

“I want to speak with her. I want to- tell her of my intentions.” Cora paused, lowering her voice. “I want her to know that even  _ I  _ can see she is  _ perfect  _ for you.” 

Regina’s eyes grew doughy, as she stared at her mother. “Really?” 

“Oh yes.” Cora smiled, convingly soft and kind. “She’s exactly what I’ve always wanted for you, Regina.” Gripping hands tighter, Cora continued. “ A challenge. Someone who furthers you. Someone who sees past the- rights  _ and  _ wrongs, and only sees the good intentions.” A break for air. “Someone fit for a Queen.” She smiled. “And my my, is she a charmer. She is  _ definitely  _ the one for you.” 

Moments of silence passed, as Regina used every ounce of her brain to contemplate the meaning behind Cora’s words. Soon enough, she settled.

“Don’t expect me to fall into your arms, this time around. I’m not a child anymore, and I refuse to be treated like one. But-” Regina sighed, looking into her mother's eyes. “I was given more chances than I  _ ever  _ deserved. Who am I to deprive you of one?” She then squinted her eyebrows, and lowered her voice speaking sternly. “But don’t mess this up, Mother.” 

Cora smiled, nodding her head. “Thank you for your sympathy, Regina. I promise it will  _ all  _ workout in your favor.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“So, tell me a little bit about your mother.” Daniel and Henry walked along the streets of Storybrooke, Henry continuously side eyeing as Daniel observed the people around him with such curiosity. 

“I think I should be asking  _ you  _ that.” Henry licked his ice cream cone, which was melting down his wrist, receiving a grimace from Daniel. “You knew her before-  _ well… _ ” 

“Right. I’ll tell you about her then, if that’s what you’d like.” Henry abruptly placed his hand out to prevent Daniel from crossing the street, a blaring horn causing the two to flinch.

Henry huffed, before relaxing. “Sorry. We have-  _ motorized  _ carriages here. You gotta watch out for those.” 

“Ah” Daniel watched as one strolled by, before shaking his head. “Anyways-” He cleared his throat. “Your mother was this-  _ bright light.  _ She saw good in everything, and believed it always surpassed the bad.” He watched Henry’s eyes twinkle, as they passed by Gepetto. “ She had hope, and this tremendous amount of faith. And when she smiled, your gut would always inevitably do backflips. Didn’t matter who you were. And you’d never know, that deep down, she was this-” He sighed. “Beaten and bruised girl, whose mother was  _ far  _ too cruel, and  _ far  _ too little of a positive role model.” A beat. “She still is.” 

“Mom? Or-  _ cora? _ ” Henry asked, enthralled. 

“Oh, uh-  _ Cora _ , I mean. Though I’m sure your mother is just as amazing as she once was.” Daniel smiled softly. 

Comfortable silence passed between the two, as Henry imagined his mother so young. 

“Henry, I’ve-” He huffed, as he fought the urge to speak. “I’ve got a question to ask you.”

“Sure.” Brightly, the boy smiled, stopping as he looked towards Daniel. 

Fiddling with his sleeve, Daniel observed the passing by people, before taking a step forward a bit more out of way. “Your mother, is she-” 

“Which one?” 

“What do you mean?” Daniel furrowed his eyebrows. 

“Emma or…  _ you know _ ...my other mom.” Henry tilted his head. 

“You’re Emma’s son?!” Daniels' eyes widened, as Cora’s plan arose in the back of his brain. He thought this was Regina’s son. OR- well he _is._ But he had no idea they...shared one.

“Her biological son, yeah. Regina is my adopted mother. But I look at them no differently.” The boy hummed, before noting the confusion on Daniel's face. “What is it?” 

“Nothing- I just-” He shook his head.  _ It was something, alright.  _ Daniel had no idea Cora was out to kill her grandson. Her own daughter’s son, who was also Emma’s son. As confusing as it was to wrap his head around, he understood immediately. “Nothing. I understand now.” 

“Yeah. I see how it can be confusing. Most people would jump to conclusions and assume my moms were married or something.” Henry smiled. “Not yet, but hopefully one day.” 

Daniel looked at him, his heart squeezing in guilt. “You  _ want  _ your mothers together?” 

“Of course I do! It’d make for a perfect story.” He grinned. 

“Of course.” Daniel smiled, as they began walking again. Clearing his throat, he gained Henry's attention. “Does this-  _ Emma...your mother... _ does she make Regina happy?”

A beat. 

“I’ve never seen her so happy, before.”

  
  


__**__**__**__

It was similar to a screeching sound, as it noisily deafened Emma into a fetal position, sitting on the floor of the sheriff's station against her desk, as she rocked back and forth. An epiphany of voices heightened inside of her mind, as she attempted to claw at her scalp, unintentionally releasing whimpers as she could no longer hear anything over the negative words and her thumping heartbeat.

“Get out-  _ get out get out- _ ” She squinted her eyes shut, noting that her limbs were beginning to tremble under the sudden darkness that swam within her, pillowing into her heart as though it was it’s new home. 

She had been keeping her mind occupied, as her own inner turmoil and negative thoughts became her only concern, almost as though they held a microphone right against her ear drum, as she furthered and steadied herself in unnecessary paperwork that she had no intention of finishing. 

And that's when the blaring noise began to grow. 

It started out low, slowly pulling her hearing away and replacing it with a diary of Emma’s darkest thoughts. Telling her things she hadn’t heard or thought of since she was a foster kid, rousing memories she had long forgotten, or hoped to never remember, shoving them into her thoughts vividly playing out one by one.

She had soon fallen to her knees, before then losing her balance and falling against the desk, sending a bolt through the wood, as pieces of papers, a stapler, and an empty bottle of water fell off of it. 

“ _ No _ ” She sounded tiny and fragile, as she quickly rationalized that this was a panic attack. She felt one coming on most of the day, anyways. 

And then in a wave, it was as though everything was pulled away. Emma’s hearing slowly swam back to her, as though she was resurfacing from below water, as her body deflated in near relaxation, though she was plenty rattled. 

“There is more where that came from.” Cora’s voice sounded from the other side of the room, as Emma registered the clicking of heels which rounded the desk slowly, and soon stood in front of her, rousing Emma to look up. 

“What are you doing here” Emma huffed, as she was still weak, her muscle strength dampened.

Crouching down to eye level, Cora grinned. “I came to have a little chat with the Woman my daughter is infatuated with.” She sniffed. “I suppose I can see the allure.” 

Emma sat up against the side of the desk, chest huffing as though she had been hyperventilating, when she swallowed and answered. “Where is Regina?” 

“Oh, she’s fine. I’d never hurt my daughter.” Emma glared. “Physically, anyway.” Cora slowly stood, pushing herself up with her knees. 

“She knows I’m here.” Cora trailed a glance around the room. “And as far as she understands, I’m giving you the talk every mother gives their daughters' lover.” She snapped her head down towards Emma. “Nothing leaves this room, understood?” 

Emma grunted, as she found the strength within herself to stand back up, using the desk as leverage, which she then sat on the edge of. “No promises.” 

“Oh-” Cora laughed wickedly. “You’re gonna want to hear what I have to say, before you get all big and bad with me, Dear.” 

Emma rolled her eyes, tightening her grip on the edge of the desk. 

“As-... most of you know.” Her eyes never strayed from Emmas. “I brought Daniel back.” 

Emma let out a grunt of acknowledgment, before Cora proceeded. 

“I brought him back, so that  _ she  _ wouldn’t be lonely when you’re no longer around.” Cora took three long steps towards Emma, nearly in the blondes face. “You see, my daughter can do so much better than you. In fact, I thought she could do so much better that I went through the trouble of bringing back a dead man.” 

Emma’s eyes flickered quickly, as she dropped her face. 

“You want to know what Regina used to do to little lost girls like you?” Cora pulled away, raising her eyebrow rhetorically. “She snapped their necks.” Cora waved her hand blatantly. “Put them out of their misery. Because a true  _ Queen  _ doesn't  _ ever _ lower her standards to such a degree.” Cora grinned at the shadow that fell upon Emma’s face. 

“She’s changed. And I’ve excepted her, despite the things she once did. I see her for more than that-” 

“Well of course you do. But what makes you think Regina sees you as anything greater than...well, what you are?” Cora sighed. “Even then, you’re just going to ruin her.” 

Emma pretended her words didn’t sting, when in reality each one felt like a blow to the gut. “You act as though you  _ didn’t  _ ruin her. Who are you to talk?” 

“I’m her mother.” Cora sniffed. “And I know from just a simple glance that you are going to entrap her. Take it from someone who knows what that looks like on her.” Emma bowed her head. 

“Regina has always appreciated a wide horizon. A variety of options. Fulfillment and excitement. She’s no different now, when it comes to those wants and needs. For her, you’re just a dead end.” Cora tilted her head, when she noticed Emma’s flushness come back to the surface, a soft sweat glistening her forehead. 

“Oh, my-” She placed a shocked hand over her mouth. “You look sick!” 

“What did you do to me?” Emma wheezed, as her chest squeezed smaller and smaller, making the restlessness boil to the surface. Cheek bones grew flushed.

“I did nothing. You’re doing this to yourself.” Cora sighed, passively observing the blonde. “Tell me, what brought this on?” 

Emma met her eyes, as she slid off the desk, struggling to stand upright through the sharp pains in her chest. 

_ And then the voices.  _

“Oh yes-” A feigned gasp. “Every word I just told you, you’ve already considered at one point, haven’t you? I guess they are just... merely resurfacing. ” 

Cora watched in victory, as the scene unfolded. Emma should be undergoing exactly what she had hoped. 

She was slowly and painfully convincing herself she wasn’t good enough for Regina. Realistically, too. Minus the array of painful symptoms that Cora not so subtlety mixed in.

But Cora knows. When you’re in love, It’s your biggest concern.  _ Being good enough. _

Eventually, though...Emma would convince herself she wasn’t good enough for anyone. 

_ Even herself. _

__**__**__**__

“I’m so very sorry, sweetheart. I don’t think she has any intention of coming back to you.” Cora watched as Regina’s exterior remained stoic, though her eyes betrayed her, as they lightly watered. She did her very best to remain put together. “She believes Daniel is fit to take her place. And-” A sigh. “I think if she’s willing to give up on you this easily, then, maybe he is.” 

Regina pursed her lips, as to not show weakness in front of her mother, though on the inside her facade was hastily falling away, brick by brick, piece by piece. 

Cora sat elegantly beside Regina, who was slouched on the sofa in her office. “Tell me, and-” She reassured. “This is in no way, trying to blur your outlook on things.” A beat. “But is Daniel really that bad of an option? Say- Emma  _ really  _ isn’t interested. Would you consider being with Daniel?” 

Regina choked on a tear. “I don’t even want to consider it, right now.” It was spoken in sad disgust. 

“Oh, sweetie. I know.” Cora rubbed her back affectionately. 

“You know, Years ago...your approval would have made a world of difference.” The younger woman's eyes connected with Cora’s. “And now that I have it...it’s-” A sigh. “Destroying, and  _ complicating  _ my life. I just-” 

Cora’s expression was nearly unreadable, as she surveyed Regina’s Honest eyes.

“And I’m not used to having company when I'm. _.sulking. _ I think I’d like to be alone, Mother, if that’s alright with you.” Regina hesitantly spoke, as she tested the waters. As a young girl, she would have done nearly anything for her mother to be so attentive towards her emotions. Now, she wants nothing more than for her to leave. But for the sake of her Mother's attempt at changing, she held back the bite. 

Cora nodded her head understandingly, before standing from her spot. “If it helps with making a final decision...She was very clear, Regina. I don’t want you to end up giving some heartfelt speech, to then just-” She sighed. “Get shrugged off by her.” A small smile was splayed across her lips, her eyes just as dead as her heart. It seems she couldn’t really  _ fake _ empathy if she  _ tried _ .

Regina’s shoulders went frigid, as her eyes widened in the slightest when she surveyed her Mother. “Right.” She cleared her throat, as she watched Cora move for the door. “Thank you.”

Heels clicked against sparkling tile, as a hand reached for the door knob. 

“Oh-, Mother!” Cora turned her head. 

Sudden curiosity spiked in Regina’s head, before she spoke. “Where have you been sleeping all this time? I-” She smiled, deflating. “I have a spare room, if it sparks interest.” 

Cora laughed softly, before lazily waving her hand. “Oh, that’s no problem at all! Though I appreciate the offer.” a beat. “I’ve been staying at the library. The clock tower makes a cozy spot when you need one.” 

In moments, Regina knew. 

After all, She learned how to perfect the Arts Of Evil from  _ someone. _

  
  


__**__**__**__

Henry and Daniel had been getting along just fine, apart from Henry silently remembering that the return of the older man had affected his mother's relationship entirely. But he remained quiet about it, as Daniel explained the different types of birds to Henry, the pair standing on the old sand, where his castle once rested

“Your mother's favorite bird was always the yellow-breasted chat. I used to tease her about it being her favorite because of the color yellow, as it was a very rare favorite to have. But she always denied, saying her favorite color was purple, and that the bird just made her eyes feel happy.” Daniel shared, as he watched Henry grin. “For a long while I believe she purposely avoided the color yellow, as she knew it’d rile more bickering.” He laughed softly, as he reminisced. “But the birds would never leave her alone.” 

“My Mom’s favorite color is yellow.” Henry stated, as Daniel turned to look at him. “Emma’s.” 

“Oh, I see-” He smiled hesitantly, before suddenly flinching at a sudden low vibration-type noise that rumbled through the beaten and broken wood they sat on. 

Henry shuffled, nearly laughing at Daniels confusement. “It’s my phone.” 

“Phone?” The older man tasted the word as it fled from his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows, only to furrow them more when Henry answered it.

“Hello?” Henry answered, then pulled the phone away, placing it on speaker. 

“Henry? Where are-” Regina’s voice flipped out, as Henry quirked his lips to the side. “Hold on. I’m gonna take you off of the speaker phone.” He looked apologetically at Daniel, who seemed just as confused as before. 

“Okay. What did you say?” 

Silence, as Henry nodded slowly. 

Followed by more silence. 

“Where my old wooden castle used to be.” The boy murmured. 

The wind bristled through Daniels' hair, as he watched the device closely. 

“Ts’ okay, Mom.” Henry spoke, as though it was something he had said thousands of times before. 

“I know. I-” A few seconds of silence. “Ok. I love you too. Bye.” With a nod of his head, Henry placed the phone back in his pocket. 

“What was that? Was that...magic?” Daniels’ eyes widened, as he eyed the pocket Henry had just pulled his hand from. 

A laugh. “No. It’s a phone.” He repeated. “It’s a way to communicate.” 

Daniels' mouth fell open, as he slowly and confusingly bobbed his head, his eyes storming with question, before Henry began to move. Rousing more suspicion, Daniel asked, “Where are we going?”

“Come on. We’re going to granny's.” Henry nodded his head in the direction they’d be headed. 

“And Regina?” Daniel rubbed his breeches, as sand fell through his hands and off onto the ground. 

“She’s going to the library.” He shrugged.

__**__**__**__

Regina sighed, furiously shoving her phone back into her pockets, as the wind picked up her hair and reddened her cheeks. Belle wasn’t answering her phone, nor was she answering the numerous and loud knocks Regina had been embedding on the door, which  _ did  _ earn her a few nasty looks from passing by citizens, to which Regina just rolled her eyes at. 

_ It’s fine. If they can roll their eyes at me now, they clearly no longer see me as a threat,  _ She thought.

With one final huff, Regina closed her eyes to envision the dark room, pieces of sunlight filtering through holes in newspapers that had yet to be removed from windows, and a table surrounded by books, as well as the faint smell of leather that she always secretly loved. 

Opening her eyes, the purple smoke around her slowly dissipated and left her peripheral as she took timid steps forward. “Belle?” 

Almost immediately, she heard shuffling from behind one of the bookcases, followed by a thump, and then a slew of hushed profanities, to which she rolled her eyes at. 

“Really? Why are you hiding, Belle?” A moment of silence. “Don’t worry, it’s just me. No Evil mother up my ass, this time.” Regina held a fist to her mouth, as she cleared her throat, following up with a small pun that would have her feeling giddy if it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation. “Pardon my french.” 

On cue, Belle bashfully stepped from behind the shelf of books, eyes remaining cast downwards as Regina took her in. 

Her clothes clung desperately to her body, as her collar bones were far too defined, and Dark circles accompanied her eyes, as a weak sigh fell from chapped lips. “Are you-?” 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows, as she waited patiently for Belle to finish. “Are you on her side?” The bookworm looked up, surprised to see a careful and timid look in Regina’s eyes. 

“No.” The older woman swallowed, still eyeing Belle. “Are you?” 

Sunken cheeks turned away, as Belle cleared her throat, making a move for the Table in the center of the room. A disappointing murmur fell from her lips. “I don’t know.” 

Walking with her, Regina eyed the place, taking in the dust that had begun to gather just as it once did before the library was ever opened again. There were stacks of books so high, they nearly reached the tips of Regina’s eyelashes, as well as books that lay open and astray in different places on the floor. 

Noticing her observation, Belle spoke. “She’s hard to please.” 

Regina scoffed. “I’d know better than anyone.” 

Pausing near the table of books, Regina began to observe the titles. “You did most of the work for her, didn’t you?” A sad purse of her lips arose, as she locked eyes with Belle. 

“Yeah, I guess. Though as it turns out a lot of it she  _ didn’t  _ need me for. It was just to...make me run in circles I guess.” Belle sighed, carefully seating herself across from Regina, who still stood. 

“What do you mean?” Regina tilted her head, subconsciously closing an open book below her. 

A sigh. “She lied to me about her plan. And then-” A huff. “Proceeded to have me dive head first into books as to not  _ ‘worry myself’ _ with other problems.” 

“Makes’ since. She was probably worried you’d flee and tell the rest of us, therefore she told you the wrong plan as a backup.” She crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you?” Looking pointedly at Belle, who slouched heavily. “Come tell us, I mean. We could have helped.” 

“Obviously not. I don’t actually  _ know  _ anything.” Belle defended herself, the information she had possessed the day before no longer mattering, as it was already done. Feeling the sudden urge to cry, she watched as Regina glared with a type of fury. 

“You helped her resurrect Daniel.” It was rhetorical. 

“I had no choice!” Belle bit back, albeit weakly. 

“There is always a choice!” The frustration of the past few days fell upon Regina’s shoulders, coming out in a near growl as she refrained from strangling the other woman. 

“She got me with a form of bribery, okay? And I now know that people like her are  _ never  _ true to their word. But I didn’t know that  _ then. _ ” Belle folded her arms, leaning against the back of the chair. “It was foolish of me to ever agree to-” 

“She used the imp, didn’t she?” Regina flashed her teeth in a snarl, before dropping her head, hands on the table. “To  _ bribe  _ you.” She mocked. 

“Yeah. And now he’s dead, so.” Belle spoke with an apathetic attitude, bringing Regina to snap her head back up. 

“He’s dead?” 

“Yeah.” Belle whispered. 

Sighing, Regina stood upright, running her hands through her hair. A few moments of silence passed, when she spoke again. “So you don’t know anything? About why-...why she brought back Daniel? Because even  _ I  _ know she didn’t do it to appease me.”

Belle swallowed, before making a decision that could easily come back to hit her in the face in the future. “She never mentioned why.”

Regina sadly nodded her head, before backing from the table slowly. 

“She can’t know I was here.” She huffed. 

Belle nodded her head slowly, a guilty expression hidden beneath.

“I know.”

__**__**__**__

Henry and Daniel stood in the center of Grannys, as the two attempted to ignore leroy's slew of comments, the most recent one being,  _ “This is the man that Cora killed? Regina went all evil Queeny- for that?”  _

“Just ignore him. He always speaks before he thinks.” Henry reassured Daniel, as the two slid into a booth. 

Daniel cleared his throat, after he had nodded his head. “I can’t help but ask...what do these people mean when they-” He looked around the diner. “Refer to Regina as the Evil Queen?” 

Henry sighed. “I think that’s a conversation you should have with mom, herself.” He softly smiled. 

“You’re probably right.” He agreed, before hesitantly asking an odd question. At least to him. “Is there a- _ uhm _ .. Nearby garderobe?” 

Henry furrowed his eyebrows. “A what?” Searching Daniel's eyes, he noted embarrassment. “Oh! You mean bathroom.” 

“I- suppose so, yes.” Daniel cleared his throat. 

“It’s right down there. First door on the right, once you go down the hall.” Henry pointed towards the jukebox, as Daniel slowly dismissed himself, eyes never straying the checkered tiles.

Awkwardly rounding the corner, he exhaled as he rubbed his eyes with his palms. Looking up to observe the room, he came to a halt, drawing in a breath at the sudden appearance of Cora, who already held a glowing object in her hand. “I’ve got a job for you.” She grinned. 

Mute, he examined the beating organ in the palm of her hand, fear rising up his throat. “I hope it’s up to par.” She paused and chuckled. “Not that it matters.” 

__**__**__**__

Emma was walking swiftly out of the station, a sound of thunder flashing through her body whenever a foot collided with cement. She had spent the last hour incapable of concentration due to Cora’s visit, including the wracking voices of negativity that seemed to almost appear natural as it was only thoughts she herself spurred on. Nothing a bottle of antidepressants won't fix, for sure. 

Large huffs of breath left her chest, as she fumbled with her keys, searching for the correct one that rested in the slew of them, when her hand stalled, causing her to drop them on the ground beneath her bug. 

“Agh-  _ shit _ ” Bending to pick them up, she stood back up just in time to catch a reflection in the window of the yellow car. Before she could turn to see who it was, she was shoved roughly against the drivers door, pressed completely against it as someone struggled to gather her arms. 

“What the-” With a grunt, Emma used the vehicle as leverage, shoving the person back off of her just long enough for a fist to spin and collide with a jaw, stark blue eyes finally coming into view. 

Emma huffed, as her eyes widened and she stood protectively. “Daniel?” She nearly dropped her stance, as the man’s hand caressed his jaw, until he straightened his back and rolled his shoulders as to pursue his actions. 

He swooped forward, reaching for her throat, before she shrugged out of the way, his body successfully bouncing off of her car door. As Emma continued to speak broken sentences, like,  _ “What the hell are you doing?”  _ and  _ “Daniel, stop!”...  _ she couldn’t help but think that now would be a great time for her car alarm to begin going off, but the bug was too old and she’s not even sure if it would work. 

Daniel paused, turning his head to look directly into Emma’s eyes, as the Blonde continued her slow and cautious steps backwards and away from him. 

Emma never ran from confrontations. She always stood her ground, even if it meant taking a few blows. She was no coward. 

But the aura that is being projected from the brown haired man, left her gut feeling uneasy.

A shrivel ran through the spine of Emma’s back, as she noted the near  _ emptiness  _ his face held when he continued his actions, marching directly to her. “What started this, are-” An almost animalistic growl fell from his throat, as Emma began to speedily step backwards, his strides growing in length. 

Unbeknownst to Emma, was a parking block just a couple feet away, growing closer as she steadily approached it. 

Boots scraped against cement in a chaotic rhythm, Emma’s heart nearly clambering into her throat, before the wind was knocked out of her lungs with a hard impactful hit against concrete, her head hitting the ground with a solid thud. 

Before she could register the next couple of movements, Daniel was straddling her, his hands squeezing intensely around her throat. As she hastily tried to pry his hands away, she felt the struggle turn to lightheadedness, hot and blurry as her body naturally convulsed for breaths. 

Just conscious enough to feel and hear an odd scrape come from her hip, her glock struggling against the ground, she grunted with her last breath as she used the momentum to reach for the gun. 

And before either of them had the time to Register it, a loud and thunderous noise echoed, followed by high frequency ringing in their ears, as the body fell limp beside Emma, who shortly and sharply inhaled, before breaking into a fit of coughs.

Massaging her throat with shaky hands, Emma turned her head to the left, peering at Daniel through blurry vision. 

He was looking directly at her.

__**__**__**__

Regina stepped into the Diner, immediately greeted by Ruby, as well as Archie.

A sickening feeling arose in her gut, as she thought back to her last meal here with her family. It ended with the few faces in the diner dancing, and a goofishly happy Emma Swan yanking her to the center of the mob, as the song of choice transition to one of a melodic piano, strings of Bette midler floating through the air, as arms wrapped around torsos. All the doing of Henry Mills, who proudly stood cross legged at the jukebox.

Moving her eyes along the line of booths, it didn’t take long before she spotted the boy, sitting confused and alone as he chewed his fingernails. 

“Stop that” She swatted at his hands, startling him upon her arrival, before sliding into the booth across from him. “Where is Daniel?” She furrowed her eyebrows, as she looked around the diner, then back to him. 

“I don’t know. He said he had to use the bathroom, but-” He glanced at his phone. “That was nearly half an hour ago.” He shrugged. 

Her eyes widened. “And you thought to just sit here?” 

Henry’s mouth was half open, as the first bits of a sentence began to stumble out, when David hurriedly burst through the door, The place growing silent apart from the heavy breathing of the man, whose eyes were frantic and frightened.

_ And per usual, they landed on Regina.  _

“It’s Daniel.” He strained. 

Regina pushed herself from the booth, not even bothering to reach for her coat. Quickly striding towards him, the reality and depth of his worry sunk in.

_ It wasn’t good. _

Before she could vocalize her thoughts of  _ “What happened? _ ”, David spoke. 

Sorry eyes locked with her own, sending the oh so familiar tumbles of fear through her abdomen.

_ “And Emma.”  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always loved! Thank you!
> 
> Also- you should check out my most recent one shot! ♥️


	19. Rock bottom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What do you suggest I do?” 
> 
> It was a mistake, asking that. But at the same exact time, it wasn’t. Because it gave Emma the last shove she needed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked so hard on this! I also kinda think that writing wise, this is my best chapter yet. 
> 
> And don't worry, there are plenty chapters left. We aren't really nearing the end. 
> 
> Enjoy! And leave me some feedback. 
> 
> pwetty pwees :(

The majority of what Emma remembers is blurry and chaotic, full of people running and speaking things she’s not sure she understands, in and out like a phone with bad service. The darkness that swam behind her eyelids would disappear in fragments, allowing her the opportunity to see the mass of paramedics around her, which- she forgot StoryBrooke had such a medical team. 

She can’t help but think, though, why people would be tending to _her_ aid, when clearly she had pulled the trigger on the gun, and aimed it at _Daniel._ But then she felt the still hot stickiness on her abdomen, and she wonders how it got there. She waited and waited out of curiosity for some form of pain to strike her senses, but all she received was nausea and an _overwhelming_ ache in the back of her head. 

She concludes that,  _ maybe  _ that’s why she is passing out every five seconds. And yeah, her hair is definitely sticking to her neck due to what must be  _ blood _ , and it is aggravating to say the least. 

In the midst of the chaos that was taking place in her surroundings, the pain was forgotten, as she was washed with an incredible sense of guilt. It was her human decency, at first, that had her striving to grab the attention of someone and beg to know if he was  _ alive.  _ But then it was the underlying knowledge that… she didn’t just shoot  _ Daniel... _ She most likely shot down the remainder of worthiness she had for Regina, and  _ that  _ is what opens the floodgates. 

And as it turns out, crying when you most likely have a concussion is nearly the most painful thing you could experience. But it still didn’t beat the excruciating squeeze in her chest, that for a moment, made her think she was dying. 

Before she knew it, she was being lifted stiffly into the air, and placed on a stretcher. She’s nearly 100% positive that the majority of the scene is caused by her sudden shock and distress, because she only hit  _ her head.  _ But when her hearing stopped swimming for just a moment, she heard one of the on scene officers speak tenderly and professionally-  _ “Her body is unresponsive. looks’ like temporary paralysis.”  _

And in that moment, all she wanted was  _ Regina.  _

_ __**__**__**__ _

  
  


“What the  _ hell  _ happened?!” 

Regina’s voice boomed through the hospital halls, as she strode with livid purpose, though unbeknownst to the people around her she was in dire need of being  _ held.  _ There was something about being told your ex lover  _ and  _ current lover had been involved in an altercation that turned life threatening, that really sent the mind for a loop. A thousand loops, actually. 

She thinks she should have had the time to prepare for this. She thinks that this _ wasn’t _ supposed to happen _.  _ But then she realizes a century’s worth of preparing isn’t nearly enough to prepare  _ anyone  _ for the next words she is to receive. Well,  _ accidentally  _ receive. 

Whale arrived from behind her, roughly brushing his shoulder against hers, as he shouted a slew of medical terms she probably  _ did  _ know, but she didn’t take the time to decipher as words such as  _ “blood”  _ and  _ “unresponsive”  _ and  _ “gunshot”  _ leaked from the sentence with exclamation marks. 

“Take the sheriff for an immediate CT, I want  _ all  _ neurological examinations done and recorded on paper, understood?!” More and more nurses flooded the area, nearly each one sending Regina roughly into the wall, as their professionalism and lack of emotions bordered their insides. Any other day, Regina would have bit their necks off. But right now, she couldn’t get her limbs to work properly. 

Emma was pushed by her in a flash, the woman’s head lulling in different directions as doctors searched for her attention from both sides of her, one checking pupil dilation, and one checking her pulse whenever her eyes shut for more than 3 seconds. Which, when they did, Regina felt her heart plummet and then rise with the desperate determination to shake her senseless. And  _ then,  _ when she noticed the traces of dry blood in her hair and on her wife beater, she felt her knees buckle with fear. 

When Dr.Whale caught sight of Daniel on the next stretcher, bloodied and unconscious, he locked eyes with Regina, as he spoke. “Take him to the OR, we will be performing emergency surgery. I don’t want a single one taking place within the next few hours, have I made myself clear?” 

Regina noted the hint of confusion, as well as the sorrow that swam beneath his professional aura, and she thinks  _ right.  _ She doesn’t doubt for a second that he will do his job precisely as he should, because that is deserved. And he  _ knows  _ she will have his neck before the sun sets, If everything isn’t done properly and with precision. 

She knows that it was his way of saying,  _ I will do my very best.  _

“I don’t know how this happened.” David’s hand carefully caressed Regina’s bicep, as he searched her open-mouthed expression for eyes that had instinctually begun watering. 

When her eyes met his, she couldn’t help but wonder how he looked so put together. How his eyes showed worry, and only worry, lacking the anger and fear that Regina’s no doubt possessed. Because inside, was that quickly and tortuously coiling slew of emotions that made her muscles twitch and magic surface, the hairs on her skin standing. 

And then she remembered,  _ magic.  _

“David, my magic—“ 

His eyes locked with hers, a mutual understanding floating between the two when they turned the corner and nearly ran into multiple body’s, which were no doubt following through with their doctors orders. And with every clack of Regina’s heels on the tile floor, she pushed her magic to its breaking point, the honest ache and need to  _ save  _ giving it this heroic shove to do its job. 

It was almost as though her peripheral vision had shut down, and her eyes focused solely on what was in front of her, an imaginary trail leading her directly to  _ Emma.  _ She had lost Daniel once, and though the thought of losing him again still made her want to scream, the thought of losing Emma made her mind go  _ blank.  _ And with Regina, blank was always worse. So she sought out the blonde woman, reading every directional sign that pointed arrows, sending her in the direction of the blocked off scan room. But when a hand reached out to stop her, roughly colliding with her chest, she looked at David with bewilderment. 

“This isn’t the OR, Regina.” 

“Incase you haven’t noticed, I wasn’t  _ looking  _ for the OR.” 

Biting back, she began to push forward, the locks on the door causing a heavy strain to Amit from it, but she wasn’t strong enough to push it open despite the adrenaline that flushed through her. 

Summoning her magic, David nearly yanked her backwards. 

“Emma wouldn’t  _ want  _ this, Regina. Daniel is the one more likely to die, and you don’t want that happening again.” 

“Didn’t you see her!? She needs my magic.” 

“No— she needs medical attention.  _ Daniel  _ needs you. Emma is my daughter, but even  _ I  _ can see what’s necessary, here.” 

She knew he was right, despite what her heart really wanted her to do. But the people Regina loved always died. So, Of Course if she’s given the opportunity to save them, she will. 

But this was Prince Charming speaking to her, who always did the right thing. And if doing the right thing was ignoring her hearts plea, she’d do it. 

_ Her heart was always selfish, anyway. _

“Fine. Let’s go.” 

And with every change of her stride, as it struggled to keep up with David’s, she felt  _ wrong.  _ Like she was almost  _ betraying  _ Emma. But that is what heroes did. It seemed the more good she performed, the more she hated it as it brought what felt like inevitable suffering. 

_ Happy endings aren’t always what we think they will be _ . Snow's once heavy weighted words echoed through her brain, sending small bolts of hurt to her heart. 

Regina scoffed internally with pitiful sarcasm, speaking to herself.  _ Well, Snow, neither is the journey to it.  _

“Whale!” David caught the doctor who walked hastily, elbows bent and forearms up, just as he was beginning to shove the restricted door open with his back. 

“I’ve got a life to save.” 

The doctor’s eyes seemed to never stray from Regina’s, most likely in  _ fear  _ that he wouldn’t make it out of this hospital alive if he didn’t fight tooth and nail for the health of the man. 

“Let me use my magic.” It was final. 

Regina began to step forward, deja vu passing by in a wave as another hand stopped her. 

“This room will no longer be sterile once you enter. I can’t have that—”

“Screw  _ sterile,  _ I’m doing this.” 

A blast of magic sent the door open, Whale tumbling backwards and through it as Regina stepped by with determination. David’s eyes locked with the doctor, conveying the smallest amount of apology, before he himself strode by right behind. 

Immediately, the on staff surgical nurses attempted at changing Regina’s sense of direction, doing their very best to convince her that  _ ma’am, this is unnecessary—  _ But again, with a wave of her hand, Regina drowned them out, freezing the room in its entirety as she strode towards the operating table, nearly yanking the blue surgical cloth off from out around his wound. 

The sight that greeted her was a bloody one, though a lot of what she was seeing was the colored betadine that had been smeared across the wound to sterilize it. 

_ Emma shot Daniel.  _

She knows right off that bat that Emma would only have done so if she was in dire need of defending herself. And from what she had heard, and the depth of Emma’s wounds, it was a life or death situation. But the shiver and nauseating wave that made the room feel stark cold, had her closing her eyes, just as a steady hand gripped her forearm. 

“It’ll all be over with, soon. And then you can see Emma.” 

The reassuring voice of David floated across her ears, giving the slightest push of gumption. She inhaled, using it as a sense of stabilization, before raising her trembling hands to hover above Daniels wound. 

She noticed as her magic resurfaced speedily, that it held an uneasy pinch, making her brain go fuzzy, as her epidermis went temporarily numb. But she ignored it, watching as a small and dim light spread itself across the messy skin, drawing a bullet from within it directly out the same way it went in, and mending the pieces of broken skin together. 

And then it was over. 

In her palm rested the object of intrusion, the  _ bullet,  _ that Regina observed almost hauntingly, before she sniffed and placed it in David’s hand.

David noticed almost immediately, the change in the woman’s frame of mind. But then he realized there was no way for him to understand what it was like having someone you mourned over for years appear at your doorstep, then get shot by the person you were in love with… and then have to  _ save him _ . 

No other word was spoken, as Regina stalked back towards the set of double doors, where Whale awaited on the outside. 

The man was startled upon the brunette's arrival, before he quickly pushed himself off of the hospital wall, mouth opening and closing in an attempt for words. Regina beat him to it. 

“He’ll be fine.” A second. “And David has the bullet.” 

Mouth agape, he watched as Regina grew further away from him with every step she took down the hall, an echo of heels that would have once sent shivers down his spine, before she made an abrupt right turn disappearing from his sight. 

“He’s awake” 

It was David, who gathered the doctors attention, head peeking from between double doors. 

Whale hesitated, hands fiddling with scrubs, before David cleared his throat. 

“What are you waiting for?” 

Pursing his lips, he finally shoved himself through the doors, speaking to the man who stood stoic behind him, wide eyed at his abrupt change in attitude. 

“Last time I saw this man, he ripped my arm off.” 

__**__**__**__

  
  


“I don’t need anymore special treatment.”

Emma sat on the edge of the hospital bed, eyes wide as she observed the nurse who replaced her banana bag with a new and full one. 

Her head CT had come back clean, as well as any other rough spots she had gained from the rough altercation. Pain medication is all they were offering, which she was thankful for, until she realized the meds did quite literally  _ nothing  _ to ease the ache that radiated from her throat each time she swallowed, and the light throb that she will admit was  _ once  _ a lot less bearable at the back of her head. 

“Also— can we stop with the fluids? I keep having to pee. I have a small bladder, and it hurts my head to even  _ move. _ ” 

Truth be told, Emma just wanted to flee from anyone's sight. She wanted to back into a small corner, far from anyone and everyone, and possibly hate herself for  _ eternity.  _ She wasn't a murderer, but yet she was, because as far as she knew Daniel was dead. And she’d like to think she wasn’t a heart breaker, either. But she had already begun to prepare for the slew of outbreaks and emotions she was probably going to receive from not only her parent’s, not only her son, but  _ Regina.  _

The past couple of minutes though, she’s had some trouble concentrating. 

Because Emma Swan on  _ pain meds?  _ She should have her own television show. Kardashians, who? 

“Precisely our point, Miss Swan. And maybe if you’d  _ lay back,  _ just as I said to do, your head wouldn’t hurt as much.” 

Her nurse finished changing her IV fluids, before turning to look Emma in the face with a raised eyebrow, her name tag reading  _ Dara.  _

“Don’t call me that. That’s what  _ she  _ used to call me.” A beat. “ _ Dara _ -”

You’d never know Emma was drugged, as she acted almost completely normal, which consisted of slouching, unexpected and random sighs, and  _ a lot  _ of eye rolls. But when she opened her mouth-  _ that  _ was what gave it away. 

Not because it was slurred, or spoken in tongue. But because it was all comments and sentences she thought were taking place in her head, instead rolling off her tongue with a sort of ease. Even comments like this:

“But feel free to boss me around, and all. If I close my eyes, I can imagine you as  _ her  _ and—” A long sigh released from between Emma’s mouth, her eyes closed to emphasize her words, before she snapped them open again. “Nah’, I thought it would work. But it isn’t.” 

The woman rolled her eyes, before sighing and observing the nearby monitors, her eyes almost falling from their sockets when Emma abruptly spoke with a sudden and sullen change of attitude.

“Is he dead? Did I—  _ kill him? _ ” 

The nurse cleared her throat. 

“No. But he’s in surgery.”

Relief flooded through Emma’s senses, the room growing silent, until her nurse broke it. 

“You’ll be out of here soon. Don’t worry.” The sound of plastic wrapper sounded from the nurses pocket as she fumbled her hands, slowly moving to the propped open door. “And when I come back in here, you best be laying down.” 

A dissatisfied grunt fell from Emma’s mouth, before she relented and slowly dropped herself back on the bed, where she soon found herself staring up at the ceiling in discontentment and longing. 

Naturally, right along with the physical pain she was enduring, her heart ached with the same intensity. The only difference, would be the pain medication that just didn’t make the cut when it came to  _ ‘numbing the ache’ _ . But once again, even in the uncomfortably lit room, monitor beeping and fluid bag dripping, she found that she  _ deserved it.  _ She nearly laughed at her pathetic thoughts, because it was  _ true.  _ Hell, she should be the one with the gunshot wound. And like wave after wave, more distress flooded her, because she realized that sooner or later her parents and whoever else was going to end up visiting her, and she’d only feel like more of a burden. The center of attention. Which she  _ despised.  _

With sudden anguish, and the desperate need to flee, Emma quickly sat up from her incredibly uncomfortable hospital mattress, hastily ripped the IV from her skin as she ignored the sharp pinch of tape pulling, and moved for her jeans and jacket that lay across the pale blue chair in the corner of the room. The nurse had also brought Emma’s shirt, still bloodied and stained a dark red, to which the blonde shook her head and ordered it to be thrown away and replaced by a scrub shirt.

Yanking the jeans up her pale legs, she felt herself go dizzy in the head from the effort it took to bring them to her waist, causing her to soon find herself supporting her upper body with her arms that squeezed the sides of the chair, a hospital gown bunched up around her waist. 

“Emma!?” 

_ Shit.  _

Still panting and supporting herself, she acknowledged the sound of Snow’s voice, not once turning her head to look her in the eye as shame and embarrassment flushed her cheeks, causing her to grit her teeth together in self disgust. Unbeknownst to Emma, was Regina standing in the Doorway with one hand resting on her stomach as she was fighting the pull between nausea and relief, her other hand limp at her side. 

“What are you doing!? You haven’t been discharged yet!” 

Snow placed a worried hand on Emma’s back, rousing the blonde to stand upright and face away from her mother. 

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” 

Emma bit out her words, as she fought through the pain that begged her muscles to stall when she pulled the gown over her head, tossing it to grab the mint green and scratchy scrub shirt. 

She could practically hear her mother’s inner burst of emotions explode, as her eyes nearly bulged from her head. 

“You can’t leave!” 

Wordlessly, Emma yanked her red leather jacket from the chair, shrugging it on, then pulling her hair from behind its collar. Not sparing the room another glance, she stomped towards the exit of the room, eyes lagging a few seconds behind, before she abruptly stopped at the sight of Regina. 

And somehow, for some  _ fucking  _ reason that Emma isn’t aware of, Regina looks the least bit angry. Not a trace of malice or hurt on her face, but big doughy eyes looking softly into the depths of Emma’s very soul, leaving her feeling exposed. And that  _ really  _ bothered Emma. Because all people ever did was spare her the truth of what she needed to be told, hiding it being these- these pitiful and heartbreaking looks. Emma  _ Hated  _ that. Her whole life people looked at her like that. Like she was gonna break any minute now, and melt into the ground like some unstable bucket full of water. But she  _ wasn’t.  _

She cleared her throat, half way expecting Regina to just burst at the sound and maybe come to her senses, only to receive nothing. So Emma did the thing  _ most  _ people with some decency would do if they had just put a life in danger, and roused up an apology. And she  _ really  _ meant it. 

“I’m  _ so sorry _ ” 

The last bit of her demeanor fell and dissolved, alarms setting off inside of her that had her quickly moving on her feet, brushing past Regina in a second, and ignoring the steady calls from her mother that followed behind, including one shuddered  _ Emma,  _ that no doubt fell from Regina's lips. 

_ She had to leave. _

__**__**__**__

  
  


Regina wishes she would have done more than stare at Emma like some imbecile, but that’s what she had done. And though it pains her to say it, there was no fixing the damage she knows she caused, because the moment Emma’s eyes locked with her own, all she could see was  _ hurt.  _ It was like seeing Emma chastising herself for something when it wasn’t even her fault, and It didn’t take long for Regina to understand that Emma was expecting some immediate form of punishment because of what she did. Shooting Daniel. 

But it isn’t Daniel Regina has been so concerned about, and she kind of wishes she could go back in time, ignore David’s pleas to aid Daniel  _ first,  _ and find Emma to reassure her that she was her main concern. Something tells her it wouldn’t have made a difference, though. Because naturally Emma was going to blame herself. It was inevitable. It was almost nearly baffling as well, how Emma was so self _ less  _ that she appeared  _ selfish.  _ Forgetting that other people have a right to express their emotions, whether it be anger or just utter hurt. 

Recently though, it was as though Emma’s negative thoughts were drowning out her caring and loving abilities. Emma used to shove aside the pain she endured if it meant she’d have the opportunity to  _ better  _ Regina. It stung to say that was no more. Now, all Emma did was run. 

Even when Regina just longed to love her. But she thinks that she can do so from afar, if it comes to it. 

“Where is Emma?” 

David pulled Regina from her deafening thoughts, as he strode around the corner to the waiting room, wide eyed with fear. 

“She left.” 

It was Snow that answered, for the first time in a long time vocally and emotionally admitting defeat. Regina wouldn’t have spoken up, anyways. Her body had yet to release the painful squeeze on her throat that had nearly prohibited swallowing, though she still locked eyes with David. 

She wasn’t even surprised when she watched confusion and question take place of his facial features, to then soon fade away into disappointment. Almost as though it was  _ expected.  _

“Whale wants Daniel to stay overnight. He’s a little uneasy when it comes to magic and healing. Says’ he wants to do a scan of his abdomen before he goes anywhere. Otherwise, he’s fine.” 

With a light huff, he sat in the seat next to Snow, who sat across from Regina. 

“I can take Henry, If you want to stay overnight.” 

Snow looked at Regina, whose eyes snapped so quick you’d think they would quit working altogether. Because  _ here,  _ was the last place Regina wanted to be. She doesn’t need this. She doesn’t need reassurance that Daniel is okay, she doesn’t need Snow offering to watch Henry for her, and she sure as  _ hell  _ doesn’t need to be  _ here.  _

“No, that’s quite alright. I have something to do.” 

She allowed a bitter expression to take place in her eyes, as well as the subtle change in her pursed lips and eyebrows to speak for itself. Knowing Emma, she’d be off somewhere emotionally damaging herself to no end, possibly doing something stupid, so she had nothing but intentions to seek her out. She has no idea what she plans to say. 

Standing from her seat, Regina looked down at Snow and David, who had grown to understand her attachment to Emma, though Snow will definitely admit to being a little surprised that Regina has grown more fond of the blonde.

“I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

Snow nodded her head up at Regina, who just stiffly nodded back, an expressionless face intact.

Her magic had been drained to no end after she healed Daniel, and it was only slowly returning, so she’ll be venturing on foot. And not for a second, did the knowledge cause Regina to hesitate. 

_ It just pushed her to try harder.  _

  
  


_ __**__**__**__ _

  
  


Emma had another episode. 

One of those gut wrenching, heart aching, excruciating, thought twisting, and not to mention—  _ infuriating,  _ episodes. It hit her like a freight train, as she was walking briskly through the cold weather, hands shivering in the pockets of her red jacket, and the scrub shirt doing no good to block out the shitty weather of  _ Maine.  _ When she began crying, her feet instinctively brought her to her Mothers, the slow and riddling noises growing in the depths of her ear drums. She barely made it into the apartment, stumbling like she had drunk an entire ship of pirates to death, when finally, she  _ collapsed.  _

Not just physically, which— that she did. Hard and solid against the apartment floor, her head ricocheting with the momentum of her body weight. But  _ emotionally.  _ Internally. 

Any remainder of hope flickered from her insides. It reminded her of her time as the dark one, the darkest of thoughts outweighing anything positive. Sniffing out the light, hunting it down like it’s prey, but instead of demolishing it,  _ manipulating it _ to become this large absence of light. With every shift in her vision, and nauseous tingling in her throat, images of her life in its entirety flashed before her eyes like lightning without the thunder. But then— there was  _ thunder.  _

The lights in the apartment went haywire, as sparks flew from wall sockets, imaginary racket balls fell through pipes in the walls, and Emma  _ screamed.  _ It was throaty and guttural, as every electronic in the home shook lowly, all at once, and then stopped, an eerie silence filtering through the room, apart from low whimpers.

Emma cried. 

She cried because-.. she had this  _ beautiful  _ life. A life she had taken for granted for  _ so long.  _ She had parents. Something she had once as a younger Emma, lost herself over as she spent hours upon hours dreading the  _ lack of— _ , their existence non-existing. Hell, she had a little brother, even. She had always wanted a sibling. She has a son, one which for  _ 10 years  _ kept her from doing the most absurd of things, despite her job as a bail bondsman… when he wasn’t even  _ there.  _ But now, he was. And he brought this new meaning to her life. He brought another reason to wake up in the morning. 

Whimpers turned to sobs, as she thought about her  _ friends.  _ The community in itself were her friends. Supporting the sheriff, supporting the savior, and supporting Emma. 

She thought about Ruby’s on the house cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon. 

She thought about Archie's patience, understanding, and wisdom, that may very well be one of the reasons she is still  _ here.  _

She thought about Mulan’s many attempts at making Emma laugh when she was devastated or pissed, which many times didn’t work. But now, they made Emma  _ breathe.  _

And she thought about how she’s let them all down. One way or another, she has.

And then she thought about  _ Regina.  _ And her cries of agony, regret, and need, altogether came to an abrupt halt. 

Regina was different. She was the person Emma had only imagined she’d one day meet. The first time she experienced  _ chemistry  _ with a person. The only person to make her feel every emotion under the worldwide dictionary of feelings. Someone who made her feel alive with anger, alive with passionate hate _ ,  _ and then all at once… alive with  _ love.  _

When Emma was a teenager, her escape outlet was often through books. And she found a lot of the time that she liked those sappy romantic ones. They opened a whole new world, and sometimes gave her this hope that one day she would meet someone that would blind her of the desire she had for a family, and maybe even give her one of her own. She had read about love story’s, that described feeling these life riddling emotions for a person. Ones that left you speechless. 

She never really  _ believed  _ in that until she met Regina. 

And Emma thinks that for a long time she had fought so long and so hard  _ not  _ to believe, that when Regina showed her what belief  _ was... _ and that it existed _...  _ she grew angry. And she also grew angry because Regina was a real asshole for a long time, but-.. it no longer matters. She’ll never look that way in Emma’s eyes again. Not now. Not  _ ever.  _

_ “I just want you to be happy.”  _ Emma’s voice quietly whispered through the room, as her heart rate slowed to a normal pace. And then she thought-,  _ Regina can’t be happy with me.  _

Why? 

Because Emma will do nothing but disappoint her. Ruin her life. Bring  _ trouble.  _

Just like right now. 

Emma really  _ was  _ speechless. And the only thought she could soon fathom became this: 

_ I’m in love with Regina Mills.  _

  
  
  
  


Which is why she has to leave. 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Regina’s footsteps thundered up the stairs to Snow's apartment, each one full with heavy fear that Emma wouldn’t be there. A weird and uncomfortable knot in her throat, as it would most likely feel oddly final to enter an empty apartment. She had searched nearly everywhere in StoryBrooke, the first place being the docks, which she was sure Emma would be. And she was wrong. 

While she searched, she had done her very best to consider what she might say. She was more than scatterbrained, to say the least. But she found that, coming up with words, imaginary or not, it was just impossible. And she hoped she didn’t have to use her words, anyways. 

Pausing briefly outside the door, she took a moment to reconsider this. Reconsider what she was doing standing outside of this beaten and rustic apartment, hoping Emma was in there. And if she was, was Regina ready to handle the distress? Because she’s not sure her  _ heart  _ could handle any more  _ break.  _

But she knocked anyway. 

It didn’t take but a second for her to internally roll her eyes, because she’d be an idiot to expect Emma to open the door, especially with the state she left the hospital in. 

With a subtle wave of her hand, the door clicked, signaling its unlock. Regina slowly grabbed the knob to twist, when she heard faint rustling on the opposite side, which made her insides flutter with anticipation. Whether it was the good kind or not, she doesn’t know. But at this point, there is no stopping. Pushing the door open further, she slid in with stiff posture, eyes immediately searching for Emma. 

“Emma?” 

It was deathly silent. Actually, more silent than the apartment  _ ever  _ was. And that is when Regina noted the lack of air blowing through the vents and the stillness in the air that proved the circulation had stopped working. It was another 3 seconds that consisted of Regina stepping forward into the center of the room, before she smelt the faint burn of electrical cords and outlets, bringing her eyes to cautiously pick up speed as they flickered through the apartment. 

Noting that Emma definitely  _ wasn’t  _ there, she ignored the depth of her disappointment which hellaciously clawed at her insides, as she acknowledged the broken and shattered glass across the floor behind the kitchen counter, where a bulb had completely blown. Immediately, she knows it was Emma’s magic. How she didn’t sense it in the air upon her arrival, was beyond her. 

With a sigh, she reached for her cell phone to call David and Snow, and let them know Emma was nowhere to be found. And as dial tones echoed through the phone and her body made its way from the apartment, she couldn’t help but feel a piece of herself break away. 

This was becoming  _ too much.  _

__**__**__**__

  
  


After feeling nearly too suffocated in the enclosed space, Emma fled from the apartment, soon finding herself sitting atop the hood of her Bug. And though she sat more relaxed than she had been the past couple of hours, she struggled to tear her eyes from the now dried blood against the concrete to her left. 

It only served as another reminder that she made a mistake. And in that moment she did her very best to understand that-,  _ people make mistakes.  _ But her self destruction felt kind of inevitable, and unbeknownst to her, it  _ was.  _

Her magic was still occasionally flaring, leaving a trail of goosebumps along the surface of her arms and a restlessness in the pit of her gut, until finally it quit altogether. She’s more than sure that she drained the majority of it to no end, but no matter, she was relieved she didn’t have to concern herself with anymore destruction of property. 

Still eyeing the dark stain that now looked like rust on asphalt, she took the time to acknowledge the emptiness of her surroundings. It was always normal; people hardly showed themselves at the station during the day. But an unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling was in the air, and it made Emma feel all the worse that she couldn’t place it. 

That was until the object of such despair showed itself. Or more like-  _ themselves.  _

“If there was ever any part of me that thought you to be worthy of Regina, it is most  _ definitely  _ non-existent now.” 

Emma hates the way Cora has this ability to send a rush of adrenaline through her spine and bring out hot fury within her bones. But what she hates more is Coras capability at making her feel like  _ nothing.  _ Or more so-, just pointing it out. 

“What did I do, this time?” 

She doesn’t actually want an answer to the question, but she does want Cora to leave her the hell alone. And as it seems, getting the conversation over with is the quickest way to do so. 

Emma had expected Cora to rerelease one of those pitifully nasal laughs that make you want to run your nails down a chalkboard, so she internally braced herself. But instead, she received deafening silence, and then a  _ sigh.  _

A fucking  _ sigh.  _ Everyone really  _ was  _ done with Emma Swan. 

Cora took subtle steps towards the blonde, before carefully bolstering herself onto the top of the bug hood, relaxing into a position much like Emma’s, who at this point was wide eyed. 

“You’re running.” A beat. “Don’t worry, though. I’m not stopping you. No one is.” 

Frozen like ice, she didn’t dare flinch, as she sat in such close proximity to the older woman who continued to speak. 

“Regina’s whole life she had things  _ taken  _ from her. I know that, because I am guilty of doing so for as long as I can remember. And for a very long time, I watched from afar as she struggled to run after these things that were being  _ taken. _ ” 

She sounded oddly sympathetic. Oddly like a human, as she spoke to Emma. 

Cora knew  _ exactly  _ what she was doing. She knew it was her last resort at breaking her. To bellow into the depths of her heart, and manipulate until it snaps completely in two. 

“Even as Queen, she did _all_ of the running. Whether it be running after revenge, running after foolish children, or running after her _happiness._ Do you really think that _now_ she needs to waste her time running after someone who is spending all of their time running away?” 

Wordless, Emma was. She couldn’t fathom words, as dark brown eyes so much like Regina’s furrowed into her soul and tugged relentlessly. Because Cora was right. And the more she spoke, the more her existing self dissolved into nothing. 

“You’re breaking her, Emma. And through breaking her, you’re breaking your son. And through breaking your son,  _ and  _ breaking Regina…. _ you’re breaking yourself.  _ There is no coming back from that, don’t you understand? Your actions speak volumes. And quite frankly, you haven’t spoken many words to go off of, either.” 

Emma swears that with each word a bomb may as well have gone off in her abdomen, sending waves of aftershock to her heart.

“How are you supposed to look into her eyes and not remember the damage you once caused her? The damage you are  _ presently  _ causing her? You can hardly look her in the face now as it is.” 

And then with what Emma concludes was the last of Cora’s words, she deflated another 50 inches, landing roughly on what she figures is rock bottom. Because every word really hit home. Hit a tender spot. One that she was protecting with the last of her existence. 

With what felt like her last breath of air, she responded. 

“What do you suggest I do?” 

It was a mistake, asking that. But at the same exact time,  _ it wasn’t.  _ Because it gave Emma the last shove she needed. 

_ “Leave StoryBrooke.”  _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my most recent one shot! 
> 
> Much love.


	20. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You step foot out of this town and I will never forgive you.” 
> 
> “Yeah. Neither will I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so let me just say this first—
> 
> This is the last chapter of ANGST. for a while. ALSO!!! you guys really hate Emma, but you have to take into consideration what Cora has done to her. :)) 
> 
> Next chapter a lot is gonna happen. It’s gonna be really long, too. So I’ll go ahead and apologize for this one being short. 
> 
> If you want, you can wait to read this when my next one is uploaded Incase you have gotten tired of the angst I’ve been throwing at you. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“What do you suggest I do?” 

It was a mistake, asking that. But at the same exact time, it wasn’t. Because it gave Emma the last shove she needed. 

“Leave StoryBrooke.” 

__**__**__**__

  
  


It’s almost comical; the way Emma has turned her heart's desires into poison. The amount of self hatred she carried within herself seemed to destroy her outlook on not only her life, but what she deserved as a human. It was eating at her insides, nearly disintegrating what was left of her sense of self, chomping away like some form of acid. 

She couldn’t fathom a single thought without it being broken down into pieces and twisted to sound as though it came from the pits of hell, Humiliation seeping from cracks in the words to make her heart feel numb. It was like a parade of demons chanting that she was an undeserving, unworthy and degrading person. A person who was loved and didn’t deserve it, therefore she could only see the love but never feel it. Because that is what happens when you keep etched into your brain that you are a good-for-nothing human who is loved by a lot of people; ones which don’t deserve such a weight on their shoulders. The weight of carrying someone broken. The weight of fixing someone broken. 

Emma didn’t deserve them, and they didn’t deserve that. 

So with a heavy ache buried beneath her stoic face, Emma hurriedly marched through Snow's apartment as she stuffed what small amount of personal items she owned into one suitcase, not bothering to fold a single item. Arms yanked shirts off of hangers, drawers open, and discarded clothing from the floor with what would appear to the human eye as fury, when it was simply just a push to not stop. 

Her boots clapped against the wood as she walked to the opposite side of the loft, before she reached into her small closet for any remaining clothing, her hand blindly moving around before it caressed something silky to touch and cool in temperature. Furrowing her eyebrows, she stepped backwards to yank the remainder of the rolling door open, before her breath caught in her throat at the sight of a steel colored button up. One of which belonged to Regina.

“Enjoy my shirt. Because that’s all you’re getting.” 

A small and sad laugh that sounded more of a huff fell from Emma’s mouth, a couple of tears straying from her eyes, as she thought back to the first time she met this shirt. She remembers almost slapping herself the first time she wore it when she nearly swooned at the scent of the older woman. And she hated her, at the time. She recalls sending it home with Henry later the same night when she was given the opportunity to change into her own beaten up cotton, and also having made the courageous yet petty decision not to wash it. 

Not once did she see Regina wear the shirt again. But little does she know, the day she disappeared into Jefferson’s hat Regina had spent nearly an hour holding it to her nostrils guiltily, before she shrugged it on and didn’t take it off for 3 days. 

Regina had never washed it after its return, either. 

Grabbing the shirt and hanger together as one, Emma held them out in front of her as she took timid steps towards her suitcase. And then almost like a chain reaction, her breathing quickened, eyes flooded, and her chest wracked with sobs. Her brain cried Regina Regina Regina, as shaking hands carefully pulled the silk from the hanger, before poorly attempting to fold it and place it delicately on top of bunched up clothing in a suitcase. 

She had to fight the pull in her eyes that tugged as she looked away and to the window at the head of her bed, hands simultaneously moving to close and zip the luggage. Sniffing, Emma bent over to place all of her weight onto the object, before she slid to the side and sat carefully beside it, mattress dipping with her weight. Her eyes trailed the room as she reminisced on memories and thought to never forget a single detail, before they abruptly and suddenly paused in their tracks, becoming enamored with a photo frame she had left on the dresser in front of her. 

It was a photo of her and Henry as they sat in a booth at granny’s, each slurping from a straw as they pushed through many brain freezes to see who could drink their milkshake the quickest. Emma won per usual, though in the photo you could see the set determination and small smile on her son's face as he stared her in the eyes. Snow had snapped the photo. But it was so old that at the time, she was just Mary Margaret. And for a second, Emma was tempted to leave it because of that in itself. But it was a photo of her son, one of the few photos she had. So she snatched it up as she stood, grabbing the suitcase, before hastily pulling it and herself down the lofts stairs to the exit of the apartment. 

She had a couple of stops to make.

__**__**_**__

  
  


“I’m not an idiot. Emma leaving Storybrooke isn’t going to bring Regina to her breaking point; I know that.” Cora shrugged mindlessly, as she sat crossed legged in the library, speaking to Belle. 

There were many loops and twists to the curse that Cora had secretly slipped to Emma. Though Henry has consumed it, it wouldn’t affect him. Cora has delved in dark magic long enough to pick the side effects and those whom the curse riddles. She wouldn’t dare rip a young boy's life from her own daughter (She tells herself that), it would just be far too evil. 

“Emma can’t leave Storybrooke. And once she attempts to—...well, I’m sure she will then soon find that it’s not possible.” 

Once the older woman finished speaking, she rolled her shoulders backwards as a silent cue to Belle that it was an appropriate time for her to speak. Belle was more than positive that she would sooner or later be road kill, as the citizens of Storybrooke devoured her existence to nothing. Cora had threatened more than once that she could easily manipulate the situation taking place and make it look as though Belle had worse intentions. And the evidence that was provided, though it was fake, would be enough to lull anyone into a protest against the bookworm. There was nearly no point in fleeing now, anyways. The majority of the damage had already been done. 

“But I thought you were trying to kill her?” 

Her eyes narrowed in on the woman, whose face didn’t falter a beat. Belle was more than exhausted with the time and effort it took to be this horrible of a person; she wonders how for some people it’s a full time job. But she had noticed that with every new deliriously evil plan, came some type of victory for Cora. Though it may not be the same type of victory most people would prefer to encounter, it makes Cora… satisfied. Because In no way is the woman happy. She just couldn’t be. 

“When Emma can’t leave Storybrooke, there is only one option left.” A beat. “Well, there are tons of options. But with the state she is in? It’s only inevitable that she’ll acknowledge the worst.” 

Polar opposites, they were. Because as Cora spoke, she herself felt the largest pat on the back, almost as though there was an audience of kneeling royalty applauding her for such terrible actions. Belle, on the other hand, wouldn’t mind taking a long walk off of a short pier. 

__**__**__**__

  
  


The past hour, Regina had been cooped up in her home, hidden from the eyes of everyone. That includes her son, who had spent a long and desperate 20 minutes begging to give her solace and comfort, which she never denied but never agreed to, either. He knew with his mother, every word would be appreciated, but never be enough to numb the distress of the situation. So he had eventually settled on a simple declaration of love, before making his way down the steps of the mansion and to the diner, where citizens had been waiting to hear news from Snow and David. 

Emma saw her son walking forlornly down the sidewalk along Mifflin street, back turned to her as he strode in the opposite direction. The woman had spent almost the entire hour contemplating with a heavy heart how she would break to Henry her departure. In fact, she had almost settled on not telling him at all. But as she noticed the rigidness of his growing broad shoulders despite the distance between them, she almost instinctively sped up to catch his attention. It was hard enough to force her limbs into driving towards Regina’s home, but she couldn’t go without hearing from the woman once more. They deserved a goodbye. 

At the revving of a beaten up engine, Henry’s attention was caught as he whipped his head around to observe the object of noise. Once he noticed it was Emma, his eyes widened nearly the size of a baseball, staring intently as they waited on familiar ones to meet his own through the shaded window. The car slowly came to a stop beside him, the window rolling down as an invitation to break silence. 

“What are you doing?” 

He looked at his mother with some type of bewilderment, as he had yet to see her since she had fled from the hospital. She had also clearly been given instructions to not drive, but Henry didn’t know that part. He was, however, aware of the heartbreak both of his parents were causing one another and Emma definitely looked like shit because of it. 

“Picking up my kid. C‘mon, get in.” 

Emma reached across and to the passenger side as she manually flipped the switch to unlock the door for her son, before the sound of metal opening and closing soon followed the action. She shakily clutched her wheel with one hand, and the stick with the other, in hopes that Henry wouldn’t notice her sudden spike of anxiety. Honestly, she might even be having a heart attack, she thinks. Because the idea of leaving her son whom she swore to never leave again left traces of misery between her eyebrows and an odd but painful squeeze between her chest that made it difficult to take deep breaths. Her chest refused to expand. And it made sense, because she had practically felt it collapsing with every passing by minute. 

“What happened?” 

Henry’s eyes became enamored with the thumping of Emma’s pointer finger and thumb against her wheel, as he asked a question he had only half of the answer to. He knew that it was always better when his mother went crazy over things such as the situation that recently took place, because it meant she wasn’t bottling anything in that could rear up in the future. But right now, apart from the subtle shake in her limbs, she looked cool as a cucumber. 

Her words came out sputtered and awkward, the pitch changing with each word. “I-.. I shot Daniel. I Had no choice.” 

He took note of how Emma was playing easy, shrugging off the intensity of the circumstances. She did so often, but now wasn’t the time. It worried him to no end that his mother was being devoured by what he only knew to describe as depression, because it appeared as though she was fading away. It wasn’t easy to spot, but looking closely you could see the dark circles under her eyes that had grown more prominent, as well as the blankness behind her irises. And if you pay mind to it, it’s not too hard not to notice the fact that she has worn her hair up recently. Almost as though she hasn’t showered, which— ew. But Henry was mature enough to understand the lack of motivation within her. He’s never been in love, but he knows what heartbreak feels like. And it’s no easy thing. 

“Did he attack you?” 

Emma’s grip tightened in the slightest, her knuckles growing white before the color dissipated quickly, followed by a shrug. 

A large breath was drawn in. “Yeah, kid. You could say that.” 

The conversation wasn’t going the way Emma wanted it to. Call her selfish, but she really hoped Henry would give her an opening; give her a reason to bring up the important topic of discussion. It was no easy feat, approaching what she wanted to say. And so with much patience, and a buried ache, she waited. They drove slowly, before Emma turned on a road Henry was unfamiliar with, rousing him to confirm his suspicions. 

“Where are we going?” 

As soon as Emma’s next words left her mouth, it was like someone taking a dart and throwing it with perfect aim to the center of a balloon, the nasal noise slowly fading away as the balloon did so itself. Henry wasn’t stupid, and he knew Emma and her motives. But not once did he think she would ever act on them...because she loved her family, and she loved him. Right? 

“I just wanted to take the long way and Spend some time with you.” 

After a long moment of silence, Henry abruptly shifted in his seat to aim his upper body towards his mother. 

“You’re leaving me.” It wasn’t posed as a question. Because Henry wasn’t in the mood to beat around the bush. It was a statement; one filled with disbelief. 

Emma’s body went rigid almost immediately before tears welled in her eyes. “I have to, I—“ 

“You don’t have to do shit! You’re convincing yourself that you do, but nobody is pushing you to leave!” 

Emma’s eyes only welled more, and for a moment Henry wanted to feel guilty, but instead he pushed it aside. Because someone had to talk some sense into his mother. 

“Henry, you don’t understand! Plus who exactly is going to tell me I need to leave, around here? I’m related to fairytale characters! The only person who would have the guts to ever tell me to leave—is your mother. And she won't because she’s in love with me when she shouldn’t be. So fuck that.” 

Henry was caught between wanting to laugh hysterically or cry in search for his mother to come back to herself. She seemed completely convinced with herself that she was such a problem for the citizens of Storybrooke, as well as her family. He watched her wipe her falling tears within seconds before he spoke again, in a much more calm manner in hopes to reach her heart. 

“I don’t know when this started…...but whatever has you thinking we don’t want you around here or— need you… you need to forget it. Because there isn’t a person here that would want you to leave. And there are also people here who need you more than you will ever know.” Henry drew in a breath, before continuing. “And.. are you-... are you really gonna leave me? Cause’ I don’t—” 

It took Henry by surprise, the swell in his throat that cut him off as well as the salty tears in his eyes. He already doesn’t remember what he intended to say, either. But the silence that followed his words felt odd, and he didn’t like it. So he remained silent until Emma spoke. 

“I don’t know how to get you to understand— I don’t know how to tell you this but I can’t...god I just can’t sit back and watch everything fall apart around me when I’m incapable of doing something about it. I’m supposed to be the savior, Henry. I mean, that’s what people expect from me. I never asked to be one, I couldn’t just be some fairytale character like the rest of you.. I had to be the savior. I’m a burden, is what I really am. And no matter how hard I try I just… can’t find the words to do justice when it comes to the way I feel. I just know I have to leave.” A beat. “I have to.” 

Emma continued driving, though she had completely deflated into tiny pieces of nothing, the silent sound apart from Henry’s jagged breaths being the only thing echoing through the car. 

And then he spoke. 

“Stop the car.” He sounded defeated, his heart just simply telling him it wasn’t going to change a thing. 

“Henry, at least—”

“Stop the car, mom!” The last of his emotions jumped to their highest level, revealing themselves in anger. “Actually, you know what— If you’re going to leave me, then you’re not my mom anymore. I did fine without you for 10 years, I can go the rest of my life if that’s what I have to do.” 

The vehicle came to a halt, as Henry angrily moved for the door handle, ignoring his mother’s soft pleas and growing whimpers. 

“Don’t follow me.” 

The door slammed shut. 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Nearly 3 hours David and Snow spent in the waiting room as they watched the arms of the wall clock tick by. They’d locked hands and hoped silently that someone would hear their desperate cries to heal the commotion and inner battles their daughter was facing, but that was until Regina called and said Emma was nowhere to be found and that the apartment was nearly upside down. Mother and father remained clueless though they held hope, but even as Snow White and Prince Charming they felt the urge to give up. They felt it and they fought it, but no matter what it was always there. 

David had been receiving regular updates regarding Daniel and the man's strength, and it was during his fourth one that his phone blared, startling the man in his seat as the conversation came to a halt. It was relatively late as it is, and the sun was just beginning to set, so he had not been expecting a call unless it was from Regina. Much to his surprise, it wasn’t. It was Mulan. 

“Hey, what’s up?” David looked apologetically at Whale, who silently nodded and trudged away. 

Mulan answered in query. “Why is Emma at the station? I thought she wasn’t discharged yet; I practically ran into her on the way out.” 

He looked at Snow, a silent acknowledgment being shared between the two, before he spoke. 

“She wasn’t.” A beat. “Thanks for letting me know, though. I’ll be down there soon.”

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Emma had been standing frozen in the center of the station, as she reminisced on the years she had spent in the worn out chair, begrudgingly filing paperwork at Regina’s request. The air was still apart from her breaths, and the room silent apart from the fax machine making its occasional mechanical noises; ones that she had grown so familiar with to the point of hardly hearing. In Emma’s left hand rest a cool and weighted badge as her thumb traced over it multiple times, each crevice of the detailed design sending an almost bearable gnaw to her heart, the task at hand proving difficult as she had intended to give the duty, as well as the honor and privilege completely up. 

Her years as sheriff had been difficult, but more than educational. She truly had a newfound respect for people that spent hours upon hours behind a desk, as well as the people who were out to keep a town in place. StoryBrooke was nearly peaceful; Perfect, If you will. But it still kept her on her toes in expectancy anytime she received a phone call, though many times she found herself in a tree to retrieve a cat. 

She also remembers how much trouble and effort it took, gaining the job in the first place. And it was all to prove a point. To be better than what someone expected her to be. And that someone was Regina. And oh, does Emma remember the look of malice she would receive that’d be hidden behind a nearly polite facade at any moment the two passed one another. The set determination in Regina eyes that spoke competition. And looking back on it, it really was a game of cat and mouse. And somewhere in the midst of it all, Emma found herself often looking forward to the adrenaline it brought. And now she knows that the adrenaline was only growing adoration. Adoration that evolved into nothing but love. 

“Emma. I’ve been looking for you.” 

Her shoulder stiffened upon the arrival of David’s voice as embarrassment and the urge to hide the object in her hand suddenly became heavy. She had expected someone to eventually look for her, but she thought it’d be hours ago. Not while she was in the midst of preparing herself to flee, a clean slate left behind her. Not while she was basking in the only temporary silence she received, a break from the nonsense and voices in her head. It seemed as though the more she acted on her instinct to run, the quieter she felt on the inside. It was one of the reasons she was doing so in the first place; it was the only way to feel inner peace. Or— well, a fraction of what the inner piece feels like, anyways. 

“You should be at the hospital.” 

Pulling her from her own present thoughts, he watched as her hands began to slightly tremble, a look of trepidation and fret etched between her eyebrows. He also knew she was trying to hide it, which made it all the more serious. 

“I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter.” 

Brick by brick, her walls went up, as they were the only thing keeping her from falling apart in the first place. Shoulders broad and chest puffed, she stared him square in the face. 

David watched her hand continue to twitch, as it now moved to the pocket of her jacket, when light reflected on bronze metal. 

“What’s in your hand?” 

Her eyes ripped from his, looking to her feet then back up. “The badge.” 

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, almost as if to push her to elaborate further, which she didn’t do. He took matters into his own hands as he stepped closer. “Why do you have the badge in your hand? Why not on your belt?” 

Emma cleared her throat, before sighing almost blatantly. “It’s not my badge, anymore.” As if she was expecting an immediate outbreak or question, she jutted her chin in the air, much similar to the way she would have done with a former enemy Mayor. 

“You gave up your job as sheriff?” His eyes widened carefully, and his voice remained low and timid. 

He had plenty of common sense which provided him with the knowledge and thought that there was definitely more to Emma giving up what she loved. He wasn’t stupid, despite how oblivious he currently appeared on the outside. He just knew his daughter well enough to be careful in his approach. It was very similar to a human reaching a hand outwards to an undomesticated animal, moving forward inch by inch with heavy caution. One wrong move, the animal runs. 

“Yeah, it’s why I’m here.” She finally moved to pull the badge from her jacket, holding it between pointer finger and thumb loosely, bobbing her hand up and down as to test the density of the object. 

Silence and heavy breathing passed, before David swallowed thickly. 

“Why are you? I mean— why are you giving up the badge?” 

“I just don’t want it anymore.” 

In less than a beat, he responded. “No, there’s more to that. You can tell me, Emma. I’m your father. Just tell me.” 

Heavy contemplation showed itself behind Emma’s eyes, When she noticed the acknowledgment behind David’s. Understanding there was no use in avoiding the discussion, she broke the ice. She had every intention of doing so, anyways..She just hadn’t planned to until morning. 

“I’m leaving StoryBrooke.” All in one it was a breath of relief, while it also awakened anxiety and fear of his response. 

David’s heart began to beat wildly as soon as the words struck his ears. “Why would you be leaving? This is your home, I don’t—” 

“I’ve already tried explaining it to Henry. As it turns out, I can’t really do the reason justice.” A sad huff fell from thin lips, ones which she continuously licked to prevent from going dry. 

“Well have you stopped to consider that maybe it’s because your reason is bullshit?” His voice was oddly high in pitch, but hushed as he spoke. And though his words were phrased almost angrily, he spoke them with care and precision. 

“I wouldn’t be leaving if I didn’t have to. Don’t act like that’s—” 

“Then why are you leaving, Emma?” He stepped forward cautiously. “What about Henry? What about your Mother?! What about... what about me? And Regina? Who— by the way, has spent hours searching for you!” 

“I didn’t ask anyone to search for me!” 

“Stop avoiding the question!” His voice raised in the slightest, before he abruptly lowered it again, the knowledge that Emma was easily frightened by such rising to the surface. “Are you tired of it? Of us? Is it too little? I don’t—..” a beat. “Do you feel left out?” 

“No.” She was short, as it was all that she could bite out at the moment, the sudden bile and squeeze finding its new home within her throat. 

“Is this life not satisfying? I just want to know, Emma. I just hate the possibility that we might have pushed you into things when—”

Emma cut him off abruptly, as the sudden desperation to flee —per usual— jumped to the surface and flooded all senses, her mind setting itself to one thing and one thing only. 

“You act like my decision to leave town is all about me! And just… feeling left out. Wanting a fresh start. But it’s not! It’s really... it’s really about her. She needs me gone.” Emma released a shuddered breath, as she then quickly moved to draw it in. David spoke before she could. 

“Who needs you gone? Are you.. are you saying Regina needs you gone?” The sullen look behind hers eyes and lack of denial proved him his answer. 

His mouth wordlessly moved as silence passed between the two, before Emma broke it, mind you quietly. 

“I’m not leaving for me. And I know that’s absurd.” She cleared her throat, thumbing the bronze metal in her hands. It became difficult to swallow from the strength it took to hold back her tears, all the while as her heart treated itself like a punching bag. There was no possible way to make him understand. There was no way to get rid of the churning questions in his head that no doubt had him feeling pain similar to her own. And there was no way to fix it, either. So she sighed sadly, dropping her eyes and picking up where she left off. “I’m not leaving for me.” A beat. “But I’m not staying for you, either.” And with one final look at David, Emma carefully placed the badge on the desk. 

She ignored his soft pleas for her to stay, as she slowly pushed past him, her ears and eyes swimming more and more with every step she took towards the exit, when she abruptly felt herself being pulled from the haze, a warm hand grabbing her own, immediately brushing back and forth with a thumb. 

No words were shared as sad eyes met. And then all at once, David yanked Emma into him, his hand finding its usual spot on the back of her head. 

“I love you. I love you so much.” 

At the sound of her father crying, she burrowed deeper into him, for the first time fighting her instincts to hide away. 

“I love you, too.” And then against his chest, she whispered the one word that always sent butterflies to his heart.

“Dad” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


If Emma didn’t have the smallest sliver of human decency inside of her, she would have been outside of StoryBrooke by now. 

The only emotion she’s capable of acknowledging within the slew of them, is red hot guilt that spreads through her stomach in nauseous flutters and makes every breath she takes feel as though it’s made of anything but oxygen. It’s never satisfying, and it leaves her wanting more. It’s what she imagines Hell to be like, because you’re trapped within four walls that display anything and everything that brings out your inner turmoil, all the while your wants and desires are dangled above you and just out of reach. 

This is how she feels as she stands at the sidewalk in front of house 108 on mifflin street. A battle of thoughts and urges tugging mercilessly at her insides; some begging her to run forward, and others providing a shell to hide beneath as she sinks further away from knocking. 

“What…. am I doing?” Emma questioned herself in a hushed tone, body turning sideways in contemplation of leaving. 

This is so stupid. What good will it do to tell Regina goodbye? It’s— 

“Emma?!” 

The door to the mansion opened slowly at first, then all at once as Regina hurriedly pushed herself out from under her roof and down the steps of her front porch, very similar to the fashion she did so all those years ago when Henry returned home. Unbeknownst to them, hearts immediately began to beat in sync as eyes met and breaths caught in throats. The hitch in Emma’s was audible when Regina came to stand roughly 5 feet away, hands clenching and unclenching like they always do when she is incapable of forming words. And right away there was something so final about the way eyes traced features and lips began to tingle in remembrance, a hand subconsciously raising to find the feel of them again, before stopping mid air. 

“Are you alright?” 

Once Regina realized how real the presence of the blonde was, her eyes immediately searched for possible injuries, gliding briskly across red leather and rough denim. 

“I spent a long time looking for you. I couldn’t find you, so I—” Regina's words dissipated from her mouth in a breathless oh when Emma broke her sentence. 

“I came to say goodbye” 

The words collided with abrupt force against the older woman’s chest, leaving her blank of thought for nearly a minute as she acknowledged how heavy the growing ache made her feel. 

“You don’t have to say anything. But I, uhm...I thought saying something before I left was the right thing to do. Now I just feel like it’s more selfish than anything. But I need to….get a few things off of my chest first.” 

Emma’s words were breathy, and fell from her mouth slowly as a lot of thought went into each one. It was difficult to really form anything coherent, though. Looking at Regina always put her brain in a foggy place, and right now her senses continued to fight one another in an attempt to bring relief, instead bringing anxiety. 

Regina’s face had been soft, showing all traces of hurt everywhere it could be displayed, but it didn’t take but a moment for her to put on a masquerade. She had a lot to say, but finding herself incapable of speaking due to the difficulty it brought her throat, she just hoped that Emma would take the silence as a go ahead. 

She did. 

“I’m so sorry...and I think that… that of all things is what needs to be said to you. I’ve really been MIA recently, and you’ve been… under a lot of stress and I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for-.. for all of it. I don’t know what’s been happening to me but I can’t seem to really uh… fathom anything that makes sense. I feel like I’m seeing life through this fog and it has more than affected our relationship. And I’m sorry for not trying harder when you practically begged me to not leave you....” 

“I did beg. I spent all of my time doing nothing but begging you. So out with it, Emma. Because quite frankly I don’t see what an apology is supposed to do when you’re still running.” Though Regina's insides were falling apart at the seams, she crossed her arms and broadened her chest. 

“I’m not running! I’m doing what’s best for everyone!” 

A pitiful laugh fell from Regina's lips. “You think this is what’s best for everyone? leaving?” 

A beat, followed by a hushed and defeated “yes.” 

“And let me guess, you’ve already gone through all of this with everyone else, right? —our son? Is that why he’s yet to return home? Is that why…god...you really are something, Emma. How dare you?” 

“Hey! I did what I could, Regina. But believe me, when I say leaving was my last resort, and I’ve been pushed to my limits!” 

“You’ve been pushed to your limits!? How about me? Have you even once stopped to consider what I am going through?!” She took a step forward, a small distance remaining between the two. “My mother is back from the dead. My first love is back from the dead. And the person that I love most… hasn’t been anywhere the whole damn time! And you have...have...the audacity to tell me you’ve been pushed to YOUR limits?!” 

“Regina—”

“Save it.” A beat. “Or you know what, No. I want to know why. Why you’re leaving. Because that is the least I deserve.” 

Regina’s chest squeezed so tight she thought she might cry in agony, but she didn’t. Instead she did what she had every right to do, and got angry. She pushed back the urge to shake Emma awake and scream in her face that she did not say such heartbreaking things, and replaced it with anger. 

Moments of silence passed, as nostrils flared on one woman and eyes watered on the other. Emma felt the last of her resolve break away at the anger Regina felt, and it took everything in her to not end on this note. A very bad note. But she did what was asked of her. 

“I’m leaving for you.” 

In less than a second, Regina filled the air. “What the hell does that mean?” 

“I’m leaving for you.” It was almost spoken in a blatant manner, as Emma made an attempt at holding back the tears. An attempt at hiding the intensity of her heartbreak, which Regina was enduring as well. “Because I want you to be happy.” 

Though Regina didn’t mean to, she physically felt how in one more rise and fall of her chest, her eyes softened and blinked in question. The fingers that rest on her biceps squeezed in anticipation of Emma’s words, because by the way she held her hand in the air she knew the woman wasn’t finished. 

“I made you happy until life got real.” A sigh. “And I can admit to that, okay? I’m not… happy ending material. I thought I was.” Emma’s eyes met the tips of her shoes. “But I’m not. And if anyone is deserving of their happy ending, it’s you.” When her eyes rose to meet brown ones, she found that her anger has dissolved into what she finds much more difficult to bear. Hurt. 

Regina releases a sad laugh. “Why can’t I be the one who decides what is right for me, for once? What is your happy ending, Em-ma?” Her eyes moved frantically between the blondes two. 

“My happy ending? Well… my happy ending is knowing the people I love are happy. Which is why I’m—” 

“Leaving?” Regina's voice softened by tons as she stepped nearly all the way into Emma’s face. “Why would leaving make any of us happy? We all need you here, Emma. I need you here.” When a hand rose to caress Emma’s cheek, the blonde took a full step backwards as though she’d been stung, leaving a look of abandonment in Regina's eyes. 

“I’m ruining you. And the fact that it’s unintentionally happening just goes to prove I’m nothing but wrong for you.” Emma swallowed thickly. “Ever since the beginning.”

She watched Regina's face morph into the ‘oh, Em-ma’, also noting the sudden sullen look of pleading that heightened. 

“That’s not true, Emma!” Regina began to cry. “My life is falling apart because you’re away from me! You being away is what’s ruining me! I don’t need a break from you— I don’t need a life without you!”

“No, see that’s not true.” Emma exhaled. “I single handedly complicated your life to no end. I always have. But when I saw the look on your face when-....you were standing outside of my room” She swallowed. “You weren’t even...mad. I had just shot Daniel, and you weren’t pissed. You were fucking heartbroken.” Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. “In that moment I only saw myself as an object that was standing in the way of a happy ending. A well deserved happy ending.” Emma shoved her hands in her back pockets, slowly stepping backwards, before stopping. “I’m supposed to bring back the happy endings. And I’m sure everyone can attest to my failure in doing so.”

“Emma—“ 

“I’m just not needed around here anymore. I’m not some fairytale character that fits in. I’m not some.... savior.” Emma whined, as her throat caught up with her emotions. “I’m just a heavy burden, dragging people down with me.” 

“I need you” Regina nearly whimpered, As she fought with the last of her body to break into Emma’s skull. 

“No, you don’t. You don’t need me.” Emma now stood between the bushes at the entrance of the property. “Once I’m gone, you’ll understand how much better off you are without me. Everyone will. Things are really gonna turn up—“ 

And suddenly, a flip was switched inside of Regina. 

“Fuck you.” She bit out, her voice throaty and low, as she watched Emma deflate. The tears were inevitably streaming from her eyes as she spoke with malice, the occasional break in her words making it all the more powerful. “Fuck you.” It sounded like defeat, laced with venom that was spurred on by agonizing heartache. “I’m not doing this anymore. I can’t keep fighting with you as I fight for you.” Heartbreaking silence filled the void that rested between the two, before lowly and quietly Regina spoke. “You step foot out of this town and I’ll never forgive you.”

A tear caught Emma’s attention, street light reflecting off of it, as it rolled down Regina's cheek in sync with one of her very own. With the last of her being, she inhaled, taking the last couple of steps backwards and to her bug door. Pulling It open, blurry vision made it difficult to see, as she locked eyes once more with Regina who finally began to shake with the intensity it took to keep her sobs below the surface. 

“Yeah. Neither will I.” 

When the streetlight above her burst and went black, she slammed it shut. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is my motivation. Please leave some!


	21. A savior can still drown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last thing Emma remembers is her mind whispering the name of her lover. And it’s funny, because she didn’t even try to think it. It just happened. 
> 
> “Regina”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the wait!! My life has been crazy lol. 
> 
> Some old kids my mother and I used to foster came to visit us for a week. They left yesterday, so I’ve had a bit of free time to do my writing, and I’ll be back to my normally uploads in no time!! 
> 
> Also— I know I said the last chapter would be the last of angst...but I cut this one in half because I thought it was getting a little lengthy. Soooo.... IM SORRY!! lol 
> 
> I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Regina stood dead center of her foyer with her fingers trembling as one handle cradled the other against her chest, the tips of them wet as they had collected stray tears that fell from her eyes. She ignored the strain in her feet caused by the lack of moving in her heels, because for the last hour she had found herself incapable of walking any further; her bones wouldn’t budge an inch. And not once was she capable of forming a thought that actually made human sense, because for once she was the epitome of blank. The only thing that reminded her she wasn’t a statue had to have been the oh so agonizing ache buried within her chest. What bothered her the most though, was how  _ different  _ it felt this time. It almost had her feel sorry for herself, because she knows this feeling of abandonment has already surpassed what she once endured as a young girl. 

Emma had made the decision to leave her. And when she did, she took Regina's heart. Possibly even every fucking organ that made the woman human. And Regina thinks that having an organ removed from within you  _ without  _ magic, would feel eerily similar to  _ this.  _ This feeling of not being completely present, because you’re stuck in this limbo that has you nearly 100% sure you’ll never return the same person. 

She had spent years crying behind closed doors because she was in love with Emma Swan. She used to  _ dream  _ of running her fingers through curls that had no right to be so perfect. And it makes her want to disappear, the fact that just after finally  _ having her… _ she’s gone again. And this time for good. It inevitably hurts worse now, though. Because Regina now knows what Emma feels like pressed against her, and she knows what her scalp smells like when she hasn’t showered, and Regina secretly loves it because it’s just _ Emma,  _ but admitting to that out loud was impossible. She knows how Emma likes her pancakes, and she knows when to take the cider from her. She knows what Emma’s morning breath tastes like, and she knows what  _ Emma  _ tastes like. And if you want to be super specific..she’s even memorized the tune the blonde hums when she’s brushing her teeth. She hums the same one when she’s peeing, too. 

Maybe if Regina would have never fallen in love in the first place, everything would be fine. Because as it turns out, love really  _ is  _ weakness. But— it is a weakness that Regina is strong enough to endure. 

She thinks this heartbreak is almost enough to send her for another loop, Evil Queen 2.0. But she’s not sure she even has  _ that  _ in her. 

Regina was nearing a sob, her body convulsing in tiny sways, before a loud and boisterous knock echoed from the door and into the foyer. It was immediate, the abrupt change in her posture and glimmer of hope behind her eyes. Because despite how pissed and  _ hurt  _ she was with Emma, she had nothing but hope that she would come back. She at first contemplated erasing how visual her state of heartbreak was, but she decided she’d leave the tears and smudged mascara to the human eye If it meant displaying her silent plea for Emma to stay. And what once started off as a slow walk, evolved into a quick click of heels on the tile floor as she neared the front door in an advance to open it. 

When she did, she realized how stupid it was to even allow herself the time to sulk; her life was too hectic for that. It wasn’t Emma at the door, though she had hoped. And it wasn’t her son, which she had also hoped. No— it was Daniel, the last person she wanted to see. But inspecting his worried and urgent eyes, for a moment she let herself go. There were no stop signs a few feet out, and there was no other hand to hold. 

Moments of awkward silence passed, as he furrowed his eyebrows at the lack of speech in Regina, and the steady churning emotion behind her eyes. It was odd, how they just stood there. Daniel didn't know what to say, as he took in the disturbance written on Regina's face. He was smart enough to know, though, that it wasn’t because of his lack of presence much like he had hoped. He took a deep breath before breaking the silence, Regina still standing stoic. 

“It’s technically morning, now. So they let me go. Everything is fine. Everything is fine because of you, Regina. I don’t know how to thank you properly—”

“I’d do it for anyone, you know.” She was soft spoken, as she tilted her head, eyes still gleaming. “I would have done it for anyone.” 

“I know that. You’re a good person, just like you were that day at the stables. You’re still my Regina.” He took a step closer, carefully placing his hand on her bicep. 

She lightly huffed with a sad smile on her face, because despite how hard she tried not to, he was still  _ Daniel.  _ “I’m not that Regina, anymore. I just can’t be. You have  _ no idea  _ who I am anymore, Daniel.” The years of heartbreak, and the years of tormenting while being tormented, made Regina new. She likes the experience and wisdom she carries, but she dreads the memories she had to endure in order to gain such. She was too far ahead of Daniel to ever be  _ his  _ Regina.

“What, because you were the ‘Evil Queen’? We both know you aren’t very Evil, Regina.” He missed when Regina went rigid at the acknowledgment of her last alias, and he continued to smile at her in hopes to brighten her eyes. 

Daniel didn’t know half of what took place years after he passed, and how she slowly and miserably became darker and darker. Her heart nearing blackness. And he would never know the extent of it, because it wasn’t just something that could be put into words. But no matter, it  _ all  _ loomed over Regina. 

“There are many who would beg to disagree. And I assure you, I wouldn’t argue with them.” Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes, because the last thing she wanted to be doing is sitting around in silence when she could be mourning Emma’s absence. But at the same time, she wanted comfort. Emma had easily turned Regina— someone who hid from the world when things got messy, into someone who seeked solace on a day to day basis. And  _ fuck  _ her for that, because she can’t think of a pair of arms she’d rather have wrapped around her. And she doesn’t know what to do when Daniel offers his own, a lot like  _ now.  _

“Something has upset you. What is it?” Her personal space was invaded by the faint smell of hospital and leather; the scent made her sick to her gut. But she knows it’s not because she doesn’t  _ want  _ to be in Daniels arms.. she’d just rather be in someone else’s. And this? It’s not as familiar as she wishes it to be. But she doesn’t once decline the embrace, because she  _ trusts  _ Daniel. 

Or does she? 

As soon as the question filtered through her mind, she went completely rigid by instinct, Daniel noticing almost immediately, fear of abandonment and acknowledgment tearing at his insides. Or  _ guilt.  _

“Regina?” He extended his arms, holding her in place. When her eyes refused to meet his, he wanted to cry. Because he knows Regina would never stand for the violence he acted upon that resulted in this in the first place. 

“Why did...she  _ shoot  _ you?” At the end of her question, she met his eyes as she clenched her teeth together. She was afraid of his answer, more afraid then she cared to admit. Possibly because no matter the outcome she's torn apart from all sides. It was a four way street, and no answer was  _ okay.  _

Simultaneously, something inside of Daniel ticked and pulsed to the top of his emotions. There was fear and anxiety that she’d hate him to oblivion, and there was the urge to cry while pleading at the feet of the queen to beg for  _ forgiveness.  _ But because everything hit him all at once, his limbs shaking, he found himself pushed. Pushed to act on his past and present impulses, doing what felt so right but wrong at the same time. 

He kissed Regina. 

It was something he’d longed to do since his arrival, and though he felt guilty for it, he allowed himself to bask in this kiss. Because it was sweet and gentle, and her lips were as soft as he remembered them to be, plump and delicate. Gentle yet firm. But it didn’t take a second until his chest plummeted, deflating all at once, as he noted the lack of reciprocation. She was unmoving, and unbeknownst to him was a battle being fought within her. It was no longer as difficult as she thought it would be, though. To understand what she wants. One, she wanted to vomit. And two—  _ she wanted him off of her. _ Just as her elbows bent to push him backwards, he gasped against her mouth. Actually, it might have been the other way around. 

An array of light filtered from their lips. 

A boring replica of true love's kiss. 

And she would have believed it, Infact, for a moment she did, but she knew what true love's kiss felt like. It was warm, flooding from your heart and lips simultaneously in a pulsing sensation that gives you this sense of  _ home.  _ And this? This was cold, rigid, and uncomfortable. It wasn’t true love's kiss. 

It  _ couldn’t  _ be. 

The two stood a couple feet apart now, as Regina gnawed her jaw down and stared angrily at a scrape on her floor, while Daniel huffed and looked bewildered from her eyes to her lips. 

“Was that—?”

“No. No, it wasn’t.” Regina hastily broke off his sentence, anger and disbelief dripping as she spoke. Her previous state of disarray and hurt was replaced, and she thanks her present anger for surfacing so quickly. 

“But I- I saw it.. I  _ felt it.  _ What do you… that was True Lo—” 

“Don’t you fucking say it!” Regina's eyes widened in both anger and remembrance of an old  _ her, _ as she watched him nearly tumble backwards at the throatiness in her voice. 

“Regina” His hands searched for something to grip onto, as he prayed silently that someone would wash over her that wasn’t so vile. That maybe this  _ wasn’t  _ Regina, and this was some other person pretending to be her. But it wasn’t. 

“I know what you think that was, but it's  _ not true.  _ And I’ve done my absolute  _ best  _ at going about this situation carefully, but it hasn’t seemed to be working! So let me make myself clear—” Slowly approaching him, she almost stared in  _ awe  _ at how quick he was to jump away from her and beg for a hiding place. Because Emma?  _ Emma would have stood her ground. _

__ “I don’t blame you for misunderstanding the situation. I don’t blame you for being confused all of the time, when the last thing you remember, is bathing in a river and sleeping on top of stacks of hay. And I sure as  _ hell  _ don’t blame you for still loving me! Because that’s how you felt then, is it not?” A beat. “But what I don’t understand is why you won’t just get it in your head that I am not in love with you! Get it in your head that I don’t  _ want  _ you to kiss me when I am vulnerable! And for the love of Jesus,  _ please  _ understand that I am not the same person I was all of those years ago! I am not  _ Daniels Regina! _ ” Nearly a second of huffing passed, before Regina slapped a hand over her mouth, her anger vanishing in a swirl as she began to cry again. Or maybe she began to cry as she was speaking, but either way, she was definitely crying now. And what hurt her to no end, was the truth behind her words. How abrupt they were, and how they took her own self by surprise. Because not  _ once  _ did she  _ ever  _ expect herself to tell off the man she spent years fighting for...all because she was desperately in love with someone else. 

Daniel’s mouth opened and closed multiple times, as he felt fear become a lump in his throat. To him, this  _ wasn’t  _ his Regina. And though he noted the way her anger dissipated so abruptly, her face guilt ridden with tears, he still threw his hands in the air as he backed away in defeat. 

“That was true love's kiss. And though I always dreamt of sharing it with you, I don’t think  _ this  _ is the Regina I want to share it with. So— you were  _ right. _ ” He stood in the center of the doorway, as he locked eyes with Regina once again. “And I don’t know what you think being in love with Emma is going to do for you, because the woman is leaving, for god sakes.” He scoffed, before watching Regina’s eyes flash with thousands of emotions. 

Then he left. 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


Emma's eyes flickered several times to her rear view mirror, then back to the road in front of her, almost as though she was suspecting someone to come after her. She almost thinks it would change her mind, though with the amount of effort it took to reach this point was enough to say otherwise. As cliche as it sounds, she was repeatedly telling herself not to think because it always led to second guessing. And right now, as the small town fades into trees on both her left and right, she had her mind set on leaving; second guessing wasn’t necessary. 

She wishes she could say it wasn’t a decision she made on a whim, but it kind of is. Not too long ago, she would have never considered leaving. And Damn the people who thought she needed to, because here? This is where her  _ family  _ is. But right now, she’s doing her very best to ignore the separational pull in her heart, and her ears that are slightly ringing as each piece collapses sending vibrations and jolts through her body. As of this moment, she feels like a disgrace not only to everyone she loves, but to  _ herself.  _ Because looking back on her life, this is what she’d never run away from. This is what she would strive to keep, because it is and always has been above and beyond what she’s asked for. Her kin were nearly surrounding her at all times.. she had a baby brother, who will soon forget she ever existed... She has her son, who will always know her as the woman who abandoned him before his life really got its kickstart…. and she has a love. 

_ Had— _ a love. She had a love. A love who opened her eyes ever since the beginning. Someone who has allowed her to live through the definition of being in love, instead of reading about it in books. Someone who… grew to appreciate all of Emma’s flaws, and all of the odd attributes to her body.  _ Regina.  _ She once concluded to Emma that she loved her birthmark, because apart from the older woman herself, no one had ever seen it. And if  _ anyone  _ knew where it was, then it’d be a problem. She liked having a piece of Emma all to herself, though she never said it aloud. And Emma prays that Regina knows that all along she  _ did.  _ And she still  _ does.  _ She has Emma’s never before acknowledged birthmark that rests hidden away, displayed near her most intimate area. She has Emma’s giggle, that is hilariously stupid yet  _ woman,  _ that Regina also loves. Hell, she even has Emma’s  _ Eskimo  _ kisses, which Regina found incredibly ludicrous until each time they were shared and right around the third one, it became a game of cat and mouse. Just like it always had. 

But above all of this—,  _ Regina has Emma’s heart.  _ The blonde may as well pull it from her chest and leave it on her doorstep, because no matter the miles between, it will  _ always  _ belong to Regina. Like it’s branded, but instead of with fiery hot iron, with a feather light  _ kiss.  _ One which could move mountains upon its moment of contact. Emma swears that sometimes, when Regina would look at her in this... _ way... _ it felt like the organ was being cradled and caressed. 

And that is what she was leaving behind. And for the smallest second, she felt  _ stupid.  _ But again, it’s her stupidity in the first place that keeps her running. That, and the fact that hidden from her is the knowledge that she is under a curse that has yet to break. 

The  _ ‘leaving storybrooke’  _ sign was steadily approaching her, as well as the drums buried deep within her body. And with every pound of internal bass, she accelerated more, the objects in her peripheral passing by quicker and quicker. She didn’t even  _ acknowledge  _ the feeling of restless tension in her arms and legs, nor did she pay mind to the churning wave of dizziness in her stomach, but she braced herself in fearful expectation. And before she knew it, her bug crossed the town line. 

She never knew her eyes had closed until she abruptly snapped them open, but when she did she acknowledged that something caught her attention from all sides. Her bug began to spit and sputter like it was falling to pieces, a gravitational pull spinning her, but  _ that  _ she didn’t even notice. Because when she crossed the line, it was at first like slow motion, almost as though the real world and this  _ magical one,  _ each gripped a limb and were steadily pulling her back and forth like a game of tug O’ war. It was like being a little kid again, except your coat is in the corner of your dark bedroom hanging on the back of a broom, and you feel this fear and bile within as you inspect it and sink beneath your blankets, only  _ then  _ for someone to switch the light on. The relief, the ability to breathe, and the  _ vision, _ all coming back to you...is what Emma Swan felt when she crossed the town line.

The screeching of rubber pulled her to the present, her bug coming to a sideways halt as tires rose from asphalt for a full second, before heavily dropping back down, bringing Emma to roughly bounce with it. 

There is no magic on this side of the town line. 

And because of that, Emma was no longer anchored to the depths of hell. Now, the original Emma Swan sits in her driver's seat, mind you  _ confused.... _ as it all comes back to her in waves and then she nearly  _ chokes.  _

_ Nothing  _ made sense. None of her decisions, none of her emotions…  _ none of it.  _

She was having an epiphany on the opposite side of the town line. And it was time to go back. 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Cora stood slack jawed and wide eyed, for once in her ridiculous life  _ wordless,  _ while Belle did her very best to hold back the smirk that was rising on her chapped lips. The younger woman could nearly  _ feel  _ the bristling and boiling anger in her captor, as she squeezed her hands into a fist in a silent attempt to not say  _ ‘told you so’.  _

Every single scene that had taken place, Cora had monitored. Everything was observed and questioned, and realistically ruled out to be a success, until Emma made it  _ past  _ the town line. Because a fool she may be, but an idiot she wasn’t. Or—  _ well,  _ If she can’t properly make a curse after years of practice, she might be more stupid than expected. But the original plan was to  _ keep  _ Emma from crossing the town line, because now she has been completely wiped free from the curse. She could care less that Emma was coming back now, because it wasn’t for the reasons Cora wished. Now, she was coming back to make things  _ right.  _ And Cora wanted her back to make things  _ worse,  _ because there was only so much self destruction Emma could possibly withhold without finally taking a dive to a place she could never resurface from. 

“RIDICULOUS!” Throwing her hands in the air exasperatedly, Cora stomped her feet. 

“To be honest, I  _ kind of  _ saw that coming.” Belle squeaked lowly, before flinching when dark eyes met how own, glaring like there was no tomorrow. And if she wasn’t valuable, for her, there might not be. 

“Shut up, you petulant fool.” Now walking in circles, Cora gripped the material around her waist as to loosen it in its entirety. “This is— this is—” 

“Impossible…?” Belle hesitantly replied. 

The room stilled upon Belle’s words, as Cora drew in a deep breath. She was livid, and almost felt stupidity within her bones as she huffed in agitation. The process of putting her evil magic to work was always fun, and watching her grow confused and angry within the loopholes of it  _ always  _ brought her joy..

But sometimes things just needed to be done the old fashioned way. 

__**__**__**__

  
  


“What do you mean _ ‘she left’ _ ?” 

“She didn’t exactly give me an answer that makes it easy to explain.” 

David watched with sad eyes as Snow's grip around baby Neal losened, the child slowly sliding down her torso without a care in the world and onto the floor full of his toys. David had spent nearly an hour in the sheriff's station pacing back and forth wondering if he made the right decision letting Emma go, before finally he exited with speed as to check on how his wife had handled such news. But— when he arrived, and when Snow asked if he had found Emma, he  _ knew  _ that his daughter didn’t stop to speak to her mother. And for a moment he was enraged, but he’d have to come back to that later. So here they were, Snow in shock and David in utter heartbreak as they spoke about her departure. 

“She didn’t say goodbye” Snow spoke with disbelief and dejection. 

The last couple of weeks had been hard on Emma, and Snow had noticed that. She had also noticed that only up until recently had she begun to grow distant, and very unfamiliar. She noticed that small things were hurting Emma, almost as though she had grown weak. Not that showing hurt was a sign of weakness, because it wasn’t. But for Emma, it meant damage was being done.  _ Permanent  _ damage. And she wonders if her lack of stepping forward had anything to do with their sour recent encounters. Maybe she should have questioned more, and been more of a mother. But no matter… it’d do no good to numb the present pain. 

“I know. I’m sorry.” David used his words to wrap his wife in a tight embrace. 

There really wasn’t a way to speak on Emma’s behalf, and he knows sooner or later Snow is going to push him to speak on what words were shared between him and his daughter, but right now he decided to do what he knew to do best.

Comfort. 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


Henry rubbed furiously at his reddened cheeks and swollen eyes, hands coming back wet and covered in salty tears, as he marched down the streets of StoryBrooke. The pain in his heart did well at distracting the pain in his feet, which had begun to feel sore nearly an hour ago as he had spent all of his time while sulking, changing between furious runs and sullen walks. Now, it was well past midnight when he finally thought to make his way home, no cars on the streets or lights on in the homes he was passing by. There were no words to properly describe the ache buried in his chest, and the petrifying squeeze that seeped towards his lungs making it difficult to breathe. Emma, his mother, his best friend, and his  _ hero,  _ was leaving him to grow alone in this world. She was going to disappear, similar to the way she did back when Henry was too young to remember. And it killed him, because he would have rather not found Emma at all, than to have felt the  _ happiness  _ she brought for only a few years, to then have it ripped away at the drop of a hat. 

And what didn’t make sense, was there were no warnings. No signs pointing in that direction, nothing that said her sudden will to leave would be an issue. Or even be a thing, to be honest. Knowing that she had planned to make a leave earlier might have numbed the hurt a little bit.. but Henry knows that he’d still have ended up right where he is, his feet subconsciously carrying him home to his home.

Another thing that made Henry want to tear the paint off of the asphalt, would be how  _ devastated  _ he knows Regina is. He wanted a future for his parents, and he wanted to be a part of it. In fact, he knew and witnessed on many occasions the smile that Emma brought to Regina, and vice versa. He knows that they would make the perfect family. Perfectly  _ imperfect  _ family. So...how  _ anything  _ could possibly blind Emma of that, had to have been out of this world. 

Watching as each foot kicked out in front of him, he sighed deeply, before swallowing in an attempt to numb the Internal pinch, when a surprised voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“Oh! Henry” a breathless voice sounded from just over the boy's shoulder, as he walked down the center of the street in front of Granny’s diner. 

“Why are you out so late?” Before Henry had the chance to turn towards the voice, it carried through the air once again as a wet and slobbery tongue rolled across his limp hand. 

Henry grimaced upon the contact as he acknowledged pongo, before looking at his slimy hand and wiping it hastily against his jeans. “I haven’t kept track of the time.” his eyes remained locked with the dogs, who any other day would be getting showered in Henry’s affection, unlike now. 

“Your mother isn't raiding StoryBrooke in search of you, yet?” Archie's kind voice and clicking shoes on concrete gathered Henry's eyes, as he took several steps closer to the young boy. 

“To be honest, I think I’m not the most important thing on her mind, right now.” Henry sadly spoke, leaving little to the imagination that he’d had a bad night. Or the  _ worst.  _

“What could possibly be more important than you? I’d heard about Daniels return, but—” The grown man trailed off, before sputtering back into a sentence. “How is Emma handling that, by the way?” 

Deafening silence filled the air once Archie finished, his big eyes looking expectantly at Henry before shadowing with concern. He noticed the boy’s demeanor had already seemed off in comparison to his normally vibrant personality, but when he mentioned his biological mother's name, it nearly hurt to look into Henry’s eyes. 

Henry cleared his throat, eyes starting from Archies and suddenly becoming enamored with the tag of pongos collar. “She’s leaving Storybrooke. Or—  _ left…. _ I don’t know.” His shrug was an attempt at numbing the conversation, but as a walking conscious, Archie was more than positive that the boy was still undergoing the first stages of acceptance; though something told him Emma Swan  _ leaving  _ was impossible. 

“Oh no… Henry, I’m so sorry.” He didn’t move an inch, fighting his natural instinct to comfort in all forms, as he tilted his head in observation. “When did she tell you this?” 

Henry didn’t want to speak with anyone about his Mother’s leave, at the moment. In fact, he’s pretty positive that he  _ never  _ wants to speak with anyone about it. And he knows his other Mother is presently sitting at home most likely drowning in her sorrow and confusion, while he roams the streets of Storybrooke at such a late hour. He should probably do the right thing, and check in with her. After all, it would give him a good way out of the conversation. 

“A couple of hours ago, I guess.” 

Archie noticed the slow change in Henry’s voice, how it climbed up in beat, a subtle sign that he wasn’t ready for any human confrontation. And that was understood. But Archie wanted to know the extent of what was happening, because a Storybrooke without Emma Swan was everyone’s concern. 

“I’m assuming Regina knows this?” 

A nod. “I think so” 

If she did, then Henry can’t even begin to fathom the  _ actual  _ state his mother is In. There was something about Archie asking, that made Henry’s brain tick at full speed. Because imagining his mother in a state of devastation over someone she was so utterly in love with… well he doesn’t actually know  _ what  _ to expect. Maybe rock bottom. 

He sighed. “I’ll see you later, Archie. I need to—..” A turn of head in the direction of Henry’s home told Archie where the boy was headed. 

“You have my condolences.” A sad and sympathetic smile was given to Henry as the boy began to walk away, before Archie asked for his attention again. “Oh— Henry!” 

“Yeah?” 

“Please let your mother know she is welcome to schedule a session, if she’d like. That does go for you, as well.” 

Henry smiled, letting Archie know his suggestion was  _ appreciated,  _ but doubtful. If there is anything to be known about a Mills, it’s that they are stubborn when it comes to their emotions. And like  _ hell,  _ is his mother going to speak with a ‘winged shrink’ as she used to call him, about her current state of heartbreak. to Archie. The only reason she ever did before, is because she was  _ forced. _ But right now, Henry doesn’t have the willpower to  _ force,  _ and he’s more than sure that Regina doesn’t have the willpower to do  _ anything.  _ She’ll probably spend the next 24 hours either setting the house on fire, or trying to sleep off the hurt. Neither of which do the pain justice. 

“Thanks, Archie.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


The road was dark and iced over as Emma did her very best, squinting and doing double takes, to see her way home. She knows it’s a one way from here to town, but since her time as a foster kid she never did well with the dark, such as what’s swimming around her aside from the casted moonlight only illuminating the road beneath her. After several long moments of recollection and almost tears, Emma had made the move to crank the vehicle, to find that it refused to work properly. She had spent several minutes attempting to search for the reason  _ why,  _ when her cell died out, along with her only source of flashlight. So, here she was with a set and determined mind that she would speak with Regina  _ first,  _ and then  _ Henry,  _ and then she would take it from there. Because the mistakes she had made weren’t even  _ her.  _ And sure, she has flaws.. but it’s almost as though something had completely washed away her senses, leaving her to play with a part of her mind that she has kept hidden from the world for a long time. 

It apparently resulted in a lot of damage, and a lot of hurt. Some of which Emma doesn’t know If there is any coming back from. But she’d be damned if she was going to sit back and do  _ nothing. _ Because  _ that  _ would make her not good enough. And If her family calls her good enough, then she  _ is  _ good enough. And If they say she makes them happy, then she  _ fucking makes them happy.  _ And why the hell it took her this long to figure that out, she’ll never know. 

An abrupt chill ran through her body from head to toe, pulling her from her present thoughts and throwing her onto new ones. If there was anything she disliked about Maine, it was the chilly weather. Because right now, it was colder than Ingrid's ice shop. And she had learned that—  _ apparently,  _ when you cross the town line your magic doesn’t resurface the way you’d hope it to. Otherwise, she would have teleported herself right into Regina's arms. And because she had one thing on her mind, which was being with her  _ family,  _ she didn’t even consider going through her things to retrieve something a bit warmer than a leather jacket over a thin sweater. It just didn’t cut it. But she did, however, grab her beanie off of the dash. 

Sniffing, Emma rubbed her nose, before watching her breath float into the air in front of her, casting a thick fog. And then in half a second, the air felt different. 

There was a small rustle of leaves, which may just have been her imagination playing tricks, but the next action that took course definitely  _ wasn’t.  _

“So glad to see the savior has decided to stay. Welcome back.” Cora’s voice sounded from directly behind Emma, light and airy in tone but with a hint of sarcasm that was oh so familiar. 

Emma wanted to smile and laugh at the lack of intimidation she felt, because for the first time in what felt like a while, she was Emma again. She felt new. And  _ this  _ Emma, didn’t take bullshit. But— she didn’t laugh, instead she turned around and faced the woman head on. 

“You’re welcoming me back when you were  _ just  _ pushing me to leave!? What do you want, Cora?” Emma crosses her arms, the leather making it slightly difficult to do so, but it was ignored as her previous icy state was replaced by the rattling hate for the woman in front of her. 

“Well, I’ve  _ never  _ been asked  _ that one,  _ before. Hm, let me think…” heels clicked on pavement, sounding like an echo that was far too loud in the tense silence, before coming to half just a few steps in front of Emma. “Destruction. Pain. Hurt. Agony.” A beat. “ _ Victory _ ” 

Emma fought the urge to scoff. “Victory? You’ve been here for...how long? And I’ve yet to see any progress made aside from the resurrection of your daughter's first love, and having me  _ shoot  _ him.” 

“See, that’s what you think. And not too long ago I was merely  _ moments  _ away from winning.” 

Coras voice made Emma want to shapeshift into a werewolf  _ just  _ so she could rip her guts into shreds. It was that, or climb into a soundproof box and scream in order to drown out the replays in her head. 

“What, you wanted me to leave Storybrooke?”

“My god, child. You’ve always been too big for your britches, haven’t you?” 

The next thing Emma knew, she was waving her hands in order to remove purple vapor, soon finding herself standing in an area that smelt of sea water and fish guts, and sounded of soft ripples in water. The docs. 

“What the hell?” Emma went to take a step backwards, before immediately yanking her foot forward when she found that there was  _ nothing  _ to rest it on. “What is this?” Turning wide eyed, Emma noticed that she was on the very edge of the wooden planks, and she had no way of moving. 

“It’s water.” Cora grinned as she watched Emma struggle to comprehend the situation. 

“Yeah. No shit, Sherlock. Why am I  _ here? _ ” 

Cora sucked her teeth, before taking agonizingly slow and signature steps towards the rigid blonde woman. The fear in Emma’s bones jumped higher and higher when she noticed a predatory look grow steadily behind the evil woman’s eyes, and the longer hers stayed connected with the irises, she found her soul grasping for a moment of mercy. None was given, when a hand abruptly rose into the air and  _ squeezed  _ on Emma’s throat, easily putting Daniel's handy work to shame. 

“I would have killed you all those years ago in the enchanted forest, If it weren’t for your stupid savior powers. But guess what?” 

Where she thought she had time to breathe, she only suffocated more. And where she thought she saw darkness, came the  _ darkest,  _ as her eyelids were opening and closing with a struggle. Her pulse had been racing in fear, knocking furiously in her chest, before she felt it begin to dissipate, gradually falling away. And then she thought,  _ no, I can’t die.  _ But no matter how hard she tried, and no matter how loud she internally screamed for it, her magic wouldn’t surface. 

“A savior can still drown.” 

The last thing Emma remembers is her mind whispering the name of her lover. And it’s funny, because she didn’t even  _ try  _ to think it. It just happened. 

_ “Regina”  _

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


Henry treaded up the steps of the mansion, still not entirely conscious of his surroundings due to the pull in his heart that seemed to both emotionally and physically distract him. Only 15 minutes ago, he wasn’t even sure if he had the strength to make it home, because the weight of the situation in its entirety finally collapsed onto his chest. But he knew that if there was anyone who didn’t know how to properly deal with their emotions, it was his mom. He’d do just about anything to keep  _ this  _ one from leaving,  _ too.  _

Pushing the foyer door open, he at first couldn’t make out much of anything as it was dark in the house. More than dark, actually. And because it’s night out, it normally wouldn’t concern him, but the fact that he knows his mother  _ always  _ turns a light or two on before bed, makes the scenery uneasy. 

Shutting the door with ease behind him, he continued to walk forward until he felt the step up touch the tip of his shoes. When it did though, it wasn’t as hard as the usual linoleum, and there was subtle resistance given to the shoe. Pausing for a moment to clear his foggy brain, he then heard rustling that quickly had him gasping and jumping backwards. 

“Henry?” His mother's groggy voice brought a flood of relief to his body, his recent adrenaline vanishing. 

“Mom..” 

Regina knew that Emma had spoken with Henry, but  _ hearing  _ the evidence of agonizing and gut wrenching pain behind his soft voice made her stomach coil in both motherly instincts and empathy for the situation. Because she knew not of his point of view on the news, but she was familiar with the extent of pain. And after so much time was spent  _ sobbing  _ on her foyer step, the exhaustion finally swept Regina off of her feet, and she ended up dreaming. Or— actually, having  _ nightmares.  _ Because every single one started out beautiful, with a soft glow and a hand to hold. Emma’s hand. But they all ended with the woman being ripped from her in every shape or way it was humanly possible. And if Henry was undergoing just a  _ quarter  _ of what Regina was, then she is unsure as to how either of them will ever be happy again. 

It’s funny, because years ago this is  _ exactly  _ what she wanted. Now, it might just be the  _ death of her.  _

Uneven and jagged breaths grew louder as Regina reached her arms outwards to grab onto Henry’s, a choked cry on the tip of her tongue. 

“I’m  _ so  _ sorry, Henry” 

She apologized for his hurt. She apologized for the pain he is bound to endure for the rest of his life, and the knowledge that not only was he abandoned as a baby, but also as a  _ teenager.  _ And she apologized for Emma. 

Because no matter how messed up her actions were, Regina knows she  _ is  _ sorry. 

And then the flood gates opened. Not just for her, but for Henry as well. Arms wrapped around torso and noses grew snotty. And while normally this would mean they were bonding and growing closer during their emotional distress… this time they were only falling further away. Because neither of them had much left to give the other. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave feedback!


	22. I promise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And when Magic dissipated and the air stilled, where Emma’s chest was once sunk in— 
> 
> It expanded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was well written! I wanted it to end with a bittersweet feel, Especially before we address the new found issues, like Daniel & Cora..etc etc. 
> 
> I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors! 
> 
> Much love. And enjoy!

dark·ness

/ˈdärknəs/

Noun

  1. The partial or total absence of light. 



  
  
  
  


When Emma’s lids snap open, there is a small burn in her eyes as they frantically search to observe her surroundings. It was similar to the way shampoo burnt your eyes in the shower, Urging you to rinse. And as she raised her arms, taking in the odd lack of gravity, she had this moment where she felt a sense of relief, her body giving up on its struggle. But then one by one, like falling dominos, it all resurfaced. The darkness that swam around her kept her body limp, as it floated in the pits of  _ nothing.  _ And when she observed how far she was from the surface of the water, she felt the adrenaline and restlessness find its way within her chest, sending off alarms to the rest of her nervous system, because she couldn’t  _ see  _ the surface. She could see nothing but occasional glares of the street light in the depths of the salty water. She was being smothered, and immediately her brain figured that she’d do nearly  _ anything  _ to breathe again. 

And right upon thought, Emma’s body instinctively took a deep breath. A breath so quick and sharp, the water that flooded her lungs didn’t even  _ burn.  _ She didn’t even  _ choke. _ It actually felt like a breath of air, her body attempting to convince the brain that it’s all okay now; the strangulating sensation dissipating upon intrusion. But the underlying horror that stayed present the whole time kept her eyes wide, because she knew she was officially  _ drowning.  _ And as she felt herself being naturally pulled to sink lower, she finally began to kick in an effort to yank herself to the surface. Sadly, she wasn’t able to get very far. Because almost immediately, she lost sensation in her limbs, and her brain officially went light. 

The crazy part? It was almost euphoric. Where she once felt ice cold, she suddenly felt warm, and embraced. The oxygen deprivation made her feel high, and sprouts of dopamine wrapped around her worry, causing it to fade. She thinks she’d feel content to just stay here, comfortably pressurized by the depths of the salty water. 

And when her eyes close, the last thing she remembers is the acknowledgment in her mind, that if she were to  _ ever  _ die, it’d have to be like this. Because as nature and the human body run its natural course, she feels what she wanted to feel for a long time.  _ Welcome.  _ Welcome, in the most sick and twisted way. 

Emma was finally then in a state of unconsciousness. The electric pulses her heart performed ceased, the oxygen rich blood refusing to complete its journey through her veins. 

Her heart had stopped beating. 

Fate has always been a twisted thing. Throwing so many coincidences in front of us that were mathematically impossible to count, ones that if you looked close enough, proved what was to come. And sometimes things just happened for absurd reasons, and you might go as far as to call it a  _ miracle.  _ But no matter, it was destined to happen. And it is  _ always  _ beyond our human control. Magic..or  _ no  _ magic. 

Just like now, as the one and only Captain Hook walks boot along the beaten wood, rubbing his chin in an attempt to see more clearly, as he had been drinking. Of course his own mind was in no way prepared for what he was about to witness, but— in the next few minutes he’d be saving the life of someone. Saving the life of a  _ savior.  _ The moonlight provided enough lighting for the fearless man to wonder, but when he caught in his peripheral something much  _ brighter,  _ he paused in his tracks with a sudden heighten of suspicion. If it were anyone else, they would have fled the scene. But again,  _ fate  _ works in mysterious ways. 

Taking timid steps towards the edge of the water, he had to squint in order for his eyes to adjust. A bright white light shone from beneath the surface, steadily growing and illuminating the surrounding area. It was merely seconds later that he could make out the physical form of a body, one that was floating limply in the water. Right upon acknowledgment, his posture changed and his body sobered itself intensely. And without a second thought, he dove head first, crashing beneath the surface of icy cold water which immediately felt like tingles on his epidermis. He attempted to open his eyes to provide a form of stability in his search for what to grab, but the mixture between thick salt and nauseating light had him blindlessly searching for limbs to grip tightly. When his right hand found an arm, he blew out air that formed a line of bubbles to the surface as he used the momentum of his other swimming arm to reach air. 

With a loud and oxygen deprived gasp, he surfaced in the water. And not once did he turn to look at the woman who he held with his right arm, though he did note the absence of bright light, because he was too busy forcefully driving his hook into the edge of the dock to make leverage for when he holsters her onto the wood. Then, using all of his strength and power, he kicked off of the post that stabilized the dock beneath the water, releasing a strangled noise as his muscles fought against his every attempt. It was around the third try, when  _ finally,  _ he pulled himself and her up onto the wood as it slowly grew drenched with the salt water that poured off of their clothing. 

Huffing with sudden exhaustion, he fought it, as he quickly moved to his knees and yanked at the lifeless form, laying her flat on her back. His natural instincts kicked in as he moved to place two palms over a chest, when he painfully caught sight of wet blonde hair laying in messy strands across a familiar face. 

_ Emma Swan.  _

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


David and Snow had spent the last 40 minutes in a deep slumber, though it was the exact opposite of peaceful. The woman’s face was sticky with her dried tears, while David’s heart was most definitely missing its favorite piece, and Neal was steady awake and babbling in his crib, per usual. 

Within 15 minutes of sharing the news that their daughter had decided to leave Storybrooke, Snow had already started jumping to conclusions that...for a  _ moment,  _ made David want to shove his fist through a wall. Only for a moment, though. Because then, his loving husband like instincts kicked in, and he was in no way shape or form to disturb the current situation with such an outburst. But, when Snow began to babble about things such as:  _ And Neal will never have a big sister!  _ _ What is he going to do when he sees photos of us from now, when for some odd reason the pretty blonde has disappeared from them! _ David truthfully found himself half a second away from cutting his hand off. Why his hand? He doesn’t know. But...Yeah, the list goes on. And only  _ she  _ would think that far ahead about things such as this, when really it was a  _ present  _ crisis. 

David and Snow were already stirring into a more comfortable position, when their phone began to ring in such a way that hellishly broke the silence and brought Baby Neal to tears, Snow immediately snapping to a sitting position. 

“David.” 

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her opposite hand shook his shoulder hastily to gather his attention, before she stood completely and moved towards the crib. Lifting Neal into her arms and cooing gently, she listened as David released a slew of grunts, the bed squeaking with his attempt to reach his phone on the nightstand. 

“Who would be calling at this hour?” 

He sighed and blinked heavily, before he readjusted the distance of the phone in front of him, quickly deciphering which button meant answer and which meant decline. 

Nobody on  _ earth  _ really wakes up  _ this  _ early in the morning expecting a call like this one. Who in their right mind could possibly fathom it? You simply don’t believe these things will happen, because you don’t  _ want  _ them to. That is how life works. And when these horrendous things  _ do _ happen? Well, normally, information processing starts with the sensory organ, which transforms physical senses into electrochemical signals. Then, the sensory information is repeatedly transformed by the algorithms of the brains. In cases like now…  _ well,  _ David’s information processing worked up until it  _ didn’t.  _ His brain refused to acknowledge the importance of what he was hearing, as it steadily released adrenaline from fear into his blood stream at an unfathomable rate, putting him in a state of what could medically be defined as  _ shock.  _

“David? David, what is it?” Snow slowly walked towards the man, who now held the cellphone in his hand against his leg where a babbling voice quietly spilled through. 

When he didn’t answer, she tried to ignore his state of unmoving by reaching for the phone herself, bringing it to her ear where she heard the last couple words of a sentence which she couldn’t make out. 

“Who is this?” David’s eyes met hers. 

_ “Snow? What happened to David?— nevermind. It doesn’t matter. Listen, I need help—” _

His voice was whiny and fear ridden, so unlike the usual Captain hooks voice. 

“Where are you?” The questions she  _ wanted  _ to ask never surfaced, because she knows if someone who was practically  _ banned  _ from the town reappeared, and then called David? It was serious. 

_ “The docks.”  _

Heavy silence, and then—

_ “She’s not breathing”  _

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


“We need to call Regina!” 

At approximately 5:20 AM, the sun began its usual route as it rose to bring the day, when Snow White felt her heart _shatter_ upon the first sight of her daughter. She had heard of stories that spoke about the world halting its rotation, usually when someone feels this great surge of emotion, whether it be the _best_ or _the worst._ But in mere seconds, she went from _imagining_ what it felt like, to _knowing._ And she could scoff at the term, because... _well,_ it just doesn’t do justice. And was Emma lifeless? _She prays to God that she isn’t._

“What the hell is Regina going to do?” Hook’s voice hardly registered between the two parents who had both moved to kneel beside their soaked daughter, when David sneered at him. 

“Not now, Hook!” 

“Well I ought to bloody know! I’m the one who saved her!” His defensive voice rose in volume, though neither parents acknowledged him any further, for their daughter was their only concern. 

Snow held her hands shakily above the unmoving form, her eyes welling with tears, as David huffed almost angrily, moving to perform chest compressions. 

“You’ll fracture a rib! I’ve done so many of those already—” 

“Shut up!” When David growled, Hook recoiled and clicked his teeth together. 

The father couldn't place where his heart now beat, because it was in his ears, his throat, and his arms which tensed with every pulse he performed on Emma’s chest. And when those didn’t work, he quickly scrambled to blow air into her mouth, as he struggled with using every fiber of his being to not stop breathing him _ self.  _

He broke for more air. “We need magic. Call Regina.” 

Snow's hands quickly began to move, as she reached into David's jacket pocket to feel for the cell, all the while him continuing his ministrations. But once the device was in her hands, she blanked. For nearly 5 seconds, the numbers began to grow indecipherable as her current state of gut wrenching fear wracked her nerves. But then she pressed the speed dial button for Regina, and in a second the phone began to ring, every tone simultaneously sounding right along with the flood of Snows adrenaline. And heartbreak. 

What she didn’t expect, however, was for a separate phone to begin ringing from behind her, bringing her to abruptly turn her head. And the sight she met made her heart break even  _ more,  _ though it had already seemed  _ impossible.  _ Because there Regina stood, her mouth slack and face  _ ghostly,  _ hand gripping her chest as though her heart was going to fall from it. Not only that, but beside her was  _ Henry,  _ who had just begun his move towards David as his face began to morph into the one of agony. 

It all happened in slow motion, the way David sat backwards onto his calves and gripped painfully at his hair, which did minimum work for blocking out the pain elsewhere. Slow motion was the way Henry began shaking Emma as though everyone else didn’t just do so. And the way Regina took one for the team, abruptly walking towards them in stern fashion as though she was unbothered just seconds before. 

“Move.” When Regina spoke, her voice cracked, which somehow only pushed David and Snow to move away  _ quicker.  _

Taking their place at Emma’s side, Regina did her very best to not look her in the face. Why? Because for her own sake, she needed to pretend that this wasn’t  _ Emma.  _ The acknowledgment that it was would only make her internally flip tables, or possibly  _ universes... _ and her magic was no good like that. But— she couldn’t  _ help it.  _ So she looked at Emma. 

Devastation. Destruction. Agony. Suffering. Despair.  _ Heartbreak.  _ None of it did justice to the way she felt when her eyes locked with moon white skin and purple lips. Because suddenly, there was a gaping hole within her. One that cried out a name over and over, and  _ endlessly.  _

Regina gasped when her hand met Emma’s arm that lay limp between her knees and the blonde's torso. It was ice cold; so cold it stung. It was symbolic of  _ death.  _

And Regina wasn’t having that. 

She hasn’t once noticed the tears that openly flood from her eyes, nor has she noticed the way Henry sits with his head between his knees, shoulders shaking heavily as David grips his back. She had all of her attention on Emma. And where she thought she was going to lose her sense of Magic, and where she thought it would plummet at the scene before her, it actually  _ skyrocketed.  _ Because magic is emotion, and most importantly,  _ true love.  _

A hand hovered over Emma’s mouth, as Regina brought all of her elemental magic to the surface, almost sighing in relief as she watched water rise drop by drop out of Emma’s mouth to float amidst them. 

“Check her pulse.” Regina spoke to David as she kept her hands occupied, watching the man lean over to place a pointer and middle finger along Emma’s neck. 

Seconds passed as she stared at him in question, a very  _ important  _ question, heart in her throat as she waited on his answer. And when his head began to shake frantically in disbelief, his eyes growing watery, Regina grew  _ angry. _ She refused to allow Emma to die. Not now, if  _ ever.  _

“Back up” Regina warned David, as she began to close her eyes in concentration, almost immediately sending pulses of electricity to Emma's heart like a magic made defibrillator. 

“What is she doing?” It was Hook, though for once he sounded worried like the rest of them. 

“I’m not letting her die.” Regina spoke more to herself than anyone, as she then placed her hands palm down on Emma’s chest, bending her upper body forward in concentration. 

After each electrical shock, she’d reach a hand to Emma’s pulse points, switching between her neck and wrist, before then shaking her head in denial when she still felt  _ nothing.  _ The next time she attempted, and still never felt that oh so wanted throb against her finger pads, she began to laugh hysterically. But this laughter represented a denial of fear, and a denial of  _ death.  _ And though everyone around her grew confused, she knew this was her body giving it’s all to  _ never  _ let go. 

Eyes never strayed from Regina’s, while Regina’s never strayed from Emma’s. And the whole time, though slowly, her laughter began to melt away into sobs that shook her form in the same physical fashion, the only difference being the weight on her chest. 

“You were supposed to leave StoryBrooke! Not— not  _ me _ ! Not like  _ this! _ ”

Everything was blue; And everything was blurry. And nothing other than the body that lay before Regina was acknowledged in that moment, as the older woman felt her chest collapse in thousands of ways, one of them being physically onto Emma’s where a hand gripped at the cloth. And then like a tower that once reached the clouds, disintegrating into sand at the pits of hell, Regina grew limp as her mouth trembled and her chest tightened in need of air. She didn’t even notice when Henry came to wrap his arms around her from behind, providing comfort while he needed it, too. And if the air wasn’t still before, it was definitely still when Regina whimpered into Emma’s chest. 

“You can’t leave me. You can’t leave me.” And it was repeated like a mantra, as though if she said it enough times the woman would wake. 

At the exact same time, Henry cried out  _ ‘Mom’,  _ and despite the fact that it wasn’t acknowledged, she still wouldn’t have been capable of knowing whether or not it was at Emma, or at herself. But unbeknownst to Regina was a steady growing white light beneath her palms that rested in different places on Emma, and everyone saw it, but her. Henry’s sudden lack of faith vanished, replaced with new  _ hope _ ; hope that his mother had what it took to heal Emma. To bring her back to life. To  _ save her.  _ Simultaneous gasps fell from Snow and charming, as well as a gruntled yet astonished acknowledgment from Hook. 

“Bloody hell—” 

Regina heard humming. It was low, and in the pit of her stomach like a bowling ball if swallowing one were possible. And at first, she thought it was a wave of nausea that would surely surge to the surface any second now. But then—  _ then— _

“Mom! Mom, you’re—” Henry started, though Snow finished. 

“...glowing.” And she was.

The light that once resonated from her palms had begun to spread unevenly up her arms, as well as spots on her neck, sending jolts of vibrations through Regina in a startling sensation. Everyone’s tears had halted in confusion when the brunette's breathing quickened and she sat up on her knees, the light beginning to pulse more frequently. In areas where Regina's hands were touching Emma, it poured like a flood into the blonde's skin, every trail of bright light leaving behind more and more color. 

Regina’s magic had completely taken over her own body and mind, giving it’s all to Emma. And though she already felt undeniably drained, with the knowledge of her Magic’s intentions she pushed it  _ harder.  _ And when she did, you could visually  _ see  _ Emma coming back to life. White blue skin turned a lively ivory color, as Emma’s cheekbones grew flushed with red, the blonde's appearance already more alive than Regina had seen it in years. And though her hair was wet and shades darker from the sea water, everyone noticed the slightest change of life entering it, the strands that had begun to dry becoming a deep golden where they were once platinum. 

And when Magic dissipated and the air stilled, where Emma’s chest was once sunk in— 

It  _ expanded.  _

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


One beep.

Two.

Then  _ Seven.  _

Regina counted along with every sound the hospital monitor made, as she sat on the very edge of the pale blue chair in the corner of the strikingly bright room, Snow in the one on the opposite side of Emma. She continued to switch between biting her nails or shaking her legs every other time the monitor did something different, always anxious about Emma’s current state. Not to mention, she was incredibly tense with the most recent events, and she is positive that her heart rate is  _ beyond  _ tachycardia. But according to every doctor on duty, because Regina demanded for them  _ all,  _ Emma was going to be just fine. 

“How did you…” Snow trailed off, gathering Regina's attention to snap from Emma’s left wrist and to the woman’s eyes. “How did you know we were at the docks?” 

A large inhale. “I didn’t.” Exhale. 

Regina and Henry had finally begun to drift off together, when it hit the woman out of nowhere. Blindly, and uncomfortably, making her restless as she shifted into a new position multiple times. It was magic, no doubt… but within seconds Regina had recognized it as  _ Emma’s  _ magic, holding and caressing at all of her bones. And when a treacherous worry and fear clambered from her heart to her throat, she just  _ knew.  _

But it wasn’t her own magic that transported Henry and Regina to the docs. It was  _ Emma’s.  _

“What do you mean?” 

“What happened was...Emma brought Henry and I to her. It wasn’t— I didn’t—” Regina smiled sadly, releasing a shaky huff at her jumbled attempt at elaborating. “It wasn’t me. It was Emma.” 

“Oh… so you think—”

“I know. I don’t  _ think…  _ I _ know _ .” Regina slowly stood, her hands spreading out the wrinkles on her top. With a heavy heart, she walked towards Emma’s bed, before moving herself to rest on the edge of it. 

Studying Emma’s features, Regina acknowledged the slow movement behind eyelids, and felt a small smile rise on her lips. It was like every other time she watched Emma sleep, the same stomach churning butterflies making themselves known with every twitch of lips. And it was funny, because like this, Emma wasn’t just  _ beautiful… _ she was  _ celestial.  _ The way Regina looked at her was beyond comprehension, because she didn’t just see the red stained lips and rosy cheeks defining perfect bone structure that symbolized both edginess yet softness, nor did she just see the newly alive golden locks that fell mid torso that made Regina swoon. But she saw the true and honest  _ depth  _ of Emma. Like the abandoned baby, and the wounded orphan. She also saw the troubled teen, and the lost adult. Not to mention she was also  _ around  _ to witness the confused sheriff, as well as the antsy savior. And she accepted every flaw and misleading act. Because it made Emma the woman she is, and that woman Regina loves. With all of her heart. 

“I’m going to give you two some time alone.” 

Snow slowly stood upon the acknowledgment that this was the perfect moment, but between the two woman and not herself. Slowly making her way to the exit, Regina stopped her in a hushed tone. 

“I fell in love with Emma when I met her. Isn’t that crazy?” It was quiet, and Snow immediately understood that Regina wanted her to listen. And so she did. 

“I think that… at first it was because she was the woman who brought back my  _ son.  _ I think it started there…” When the older woman sniffled, Snow knew she was crying, though she only saw shoulder blades that tensed with every stroke Regina gave Emma’s arm. “All I know is that I felt something the first time I looked into her eyes. And then it just….  _ Grew. _ And I— I remember thinking to myself on  _ multiple  _ occasions, that I must be truly insane… pining after the daughter of my own worst enemy. But now I know….” a heavy beat. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Comfortable silence filled the air, a soft and heartfelt smile on Snow’s face, before she heard Regina’s cry’s grow into soft whimpers. 

“Regina, sweetie—” The short haired woman pushed herself off of the doorframe, before moving towards Regina and slowly caressing her shoulder down to her wrist.

Regina felt stupid, sitting here and crying the way she was. She was also embarrassed, because it had been a long time since she cried in front of Snow. “You sound like a mother.” 

“I am a mother.” Snow teasingly smiled as she continued her ministrations on Regina's arm, moving her eyes to Emma’s body. 

“You sound like you could be  _ my  _ mother.” Lightly laughing, Regina sucked up her tears and rubbed the backs of her fingers below her eyes. 

A beat. “I could be.” 

Regina snapped her eyes up to meet Snows, who had met her own, and was smiling mischievously. “What?” 

“If you married Emma. That’d make me your step mother.” A beat, and then a hushed “god this family is twisted…” 

And then Regina got to thinking. “What if she doesn’t  _ want  _ to marry me? She was… she was going to leave storybrooke…leave  _ me... _ and I still don’t know if that was some sort of metaphor for… for—”

Snow bit her teeth. “I refuse to believe my daughter would do that to herself.” 

A sad scoff. “And  _ I  _ refused to believe she’d leave in the first place.” 

“And did she?” 

_ She tried.  _

Squeezing Emma’s hand, Regina replied as she looked down at the blonde's long and delicate fingers. “Almost.” It was heavy and laced with heartbreak, as she did her very best to not reminisce on what went down just an hour before. 

“But she  _ didn’t. _ And it’s all going to be okay.” Snow made a final squeeze on Regina's shoulder, before she smiled to excuse herself. 

A few moments of silence passed as Regina listened to Snow’s feet padding along the hospital tile. 

And for once, she decided to have  _ hope.  _

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


“— and then I just saw it. This bright light. And forgive me, but at first I was contemplating just getting the hell away, but… let’s call it fate, shall we?” Hook walked alongside David through the hospital lobby, the two making their way to the cafeteria where Henry waited with Red, when David began to question the man on what he witnessed. 

It was a little suspicious to all of them, that Hook of all people was the person to find Emma. As far as everyone knew, he had left Storybrooke a long time ago. 

“So you didn’t...see her jump in?” David queried, before watching as Hook's eyebrows sunk down with wrinkles. 

Placing his right hand outwards to stop David in his tracks, Hook spoke in a taken back tone. “You think she jumped? Why would you—” 

“There were some signs pointing towards that, yes. But I don’t necessarily believe that it’s true. I’m just looking for evidence.” Crossing his arms, David spoke when the man beside him began to scratch at his beard. “What is it?” 

A sigh. “What do you mean by signs? Ones Pointing towards Emma offing herself?” 

David grew slightly wide eyed at the people around the two, before he looked back towards Hook as to say  _ ‘shut the hell up’.  _ “Now isn’t.. the appropriate time to discuss that.” 

“Right. So when is the right time?” 

David narrowed his eyes as he began to question whether or not Hook was deserving of such information, because despite the fact that he  _ saved  _ Emma, he was still  _ Hook.  _ And if Regina had a say in any of this, he's sure she’d have left him a few corners ago.

“Just because you saved Emma— which we are  _ all _ grateful that you did… it just doesn’t mean you get to swoop in like you’ve been here the whole time. There is a reason you don’t understand what is going on, and that reason is your absence. Which was wanted, I might add. So I highly doubt Emma or Regina would approve of you knowing everything that is going on right now.” 

Both men held eye contact, before David slowly unfolded his arms in an invitation to move. When Hook took the hint, he spoke as well, though  _ bitterly.  _

“Sure thing, your  _ highness. _ ”

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


Regina held Emma’s left hand to her lips, the two soft edges completely unmoving as they just sat content against soft skin, fingers threading through  _ limp  _ fingers. She had been thinking that It was absolutely insane, the way Emma has made her feel more alive with emotion than she possibly ever has. And to think there was a point in time when she felt nothing at all, and she feared she wouldn’t ever feel  _ this  _ again. 

Emma and Regina had an impeccable love story. The whole enemies to lovers scenario, but laced with an underlying acknowledgment that they were in love the whole time, just in fear of  _ losing  _ one another. And as Regina stares into Emma’s sternum, she thinks that it would make the perfect movie, their love story. Because it was a rollercoaster, and now that she thinks about it, she  _ would  _ spend the rest of her life with Emma. She’d go the whole nine yards, and re-do it  _ all.  _ And then she laughed, because their love story wasn’t even  _ over.  _ It had only just begun. 

The way she previously had Emma at her hands, and  _ lifeless,  _ she can’t help but vow to herself that she will never go through it again. It would truly be the end of her world, because wherever Emma goes, Regina goes. And with no Emma, there is no  _ Regina.  _

When the hand Regan held against her lips began to twitch, the fingers between her own wrapping themselves tightly in her hand, she was pulled abruptly from her thoughts. Snatching her eyes up in time with the beating of her heart, her breath caught in her throat. 

_ Emma was looking right at her.  _

Her eyes held a new life to them, the array of green and blue more vibrant than Regina had seen it in  _ years.  _ Regina's heart nearly toppled from her chest, too, when she noted the amount of love behind pupils. 

In a scratchy voice, Emma tilted her head and acknowledged Regina's slacked mouth expression. 

“judging by that expression, I’d say I’ve been in a coma for… 2 years?” A gasp. “Oh god, has it been 10? Do I have gray hair?” Her teasing voice, however, hardly registered with Regina as the woman nearly plowed herself into Emma, bringing her legs onto the bed with her in order to properly dig into the blonde's arms. 

“Wow… did you miss me?” Emma’s airy yet grumbled voice hit Regina in the most beautiful way, almost bringing the woman to tears. It sounded like music, to her. 

The previous tension and desperation faded away with a wondrous sigh, as the older woman found herself right where she wanted to be. “You have no idea, Em-ma” Regina burrowed herself into Emma’s neck, Emma bringing her arms to rub at Regina's back and forearm. 

Content silence filled the air as Regina smiled with joy, fingers trailing up and down the blondes collar bone, when Emma finally spoke. 

“You’re not… mad at me...are you?” 

A beat. 

“No. No, Emma. I’m not mad at you.” 

And then a head rose up to eye level, the two blinking slowly, before lips touched in a soft and delicate kiss, one that spoke words that the human mind couldn’t possibly comprehend. And The women knew they had a lot to talk about. Things to be addressed, and questions to be asked. But right now, all they wanted was to be content in one another’s arms.  _ Where they belonged.  _ Daniel, Cora, a curse or a thousand  _ monkeys,  _ couldn’t possibly convince them to move an inch. 

  
  
  


_ “I love you, Emma. I love you. I love you—”  _

_ “And I love you. Okay? I love you. M’ not going anywhere.”  _

_ “Promise me. Promise me you won’t leave.”  _

_ “I promise.” _ And then  _ “I love you.”  _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gimme that feedback, readers! Don’t be shy, put some more ;))


	23. Lacey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What is your name?” 
> 
> “Lacey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are picking back up again! Also— if you are curious, I’d say this story will end around 30 something chapters. 
> 
> We still have a while, though. So no worries! 
> 
> Much love! 
> 
> Enjoy.

Regina had always been a masochist. It was instilled by her mother, who had spent years of grueling manipulative work ensuring she would have some sort of power reining over her daughter, no matter the distance between them. Despite the many attempts to pull herself from such a graveling low, Regina often found herself dwelling within emotional masochism, feeling guilty when provided with pleasure. It was as though someone had taken a hot iron and stuck it to her brain, marking it painfully with  _ ‘undeserving’.  _ It’s what her mother did to her, after all. She molded Regina into someone who was thought to deserve and expect so  _ little,  _ that when she was provided with greater, it  _ hurt.  _

Normally, she could only bask so long in the moments that made her happy, and made her feel  _ loved,  _ because sooner or later a pitiful and engraved voice would begin gnawing at her insides, being the provided evidence that she would forever be unworthy of  _ happiness.  _ But because Regina always loved the feeling such good things brought to her, she learned to bear the voice of heartbreaking reason. And the times when it became unbearable, she  _ acknowledged  _ it, because it kept her from diving in too deep. Unfortunately, it wasn’t too long until she began confusing love with pain, not knowing one without the other. 

Emma changed that. 

There was an internal wall within Regina; a wall that was broken and battered, leaving gaping holes where the negative thoughts and man created hate would seep through, tattering with what was  _ good.  _ How Regina often evaluated people, was by observing their approach to the wall. Some people ignored it completely, afraid of what was hidden behind it, while others wanted to tear it down, but were always  _ incapable  _ of handling what was behind it. In fact, some people often  _ knew  _ what was behind it, but thought that placing an imaginary bandage over the wound would do good, when it always only led to more self destruction that made Regina swoon, and they would  _ run.  _

Emma’s approach never ceased to fascinate Regina, because she might as well have entered her internal and emotional home with a hard hat and a hammer, effectively tearing down the wall with precision. And with every piece of Regina’s past that came in contact with Emma, all the while the woman steadily tearing away at steel bricks, she’d feel temporarily  _ fixed.  _ Except, the  _ temporary  _ dissipated almost as soon as it came, because when the wall was gone, Instead of Emma running at the depth of Regina's hurt with a pitchfork and a torch, she wrapped her arms around it and  _ loved it.  _

She didn’t just love  _ away  _ Regina’s burdens; she simply just  _ loved  _ them. Because it made Regina human. And now, amidst the many reasons she loves Emma, she finds one of them is because of who she is with Emma in her life. 

She is simply Regina. A woman who has been through hell and back, and is no less lovable in the eyes of the only person whose opinion truly matters. 

As Regina indents the hospital bed, sitting to Emma’s left, Her heart grins in purity as she traces the lack of worry lines on the blonde's face with her eyes. She’d been receiving occasional glances that proved Emma was slightly concerned with Regina's  _ not so new  _ infatuation with her face, but she decided she could care less. The sight of Emma conscious and aware did plenty to bring her relief, but it always made her eyes feel at home when they had such a beautiful thing to focus on. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Emma’s eyes focused on Regina’s, a soft smile hidden within them as she noted the way Regina’s right brow shot upwards at her question. 

A content hum fell from the brunette's lips as she blatantly readjusted the blanket around Emma’s torso. A way to sum up her previous thoughts? She couldn’t find one, because it would take far too much elaboration. “I’m just...glad you’re okay.” 

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Emma grinned, catching Regina’s left hand in her right as she pulled it down and onto her chest, which felt light and airy despite her growing disgust for hospitals. The air was soft, hardly any tension to feel between the two, as Regina’s eyes squinted with a closed mouth smile, a gigantic bubble of solace floating up from her lungs in a worn out sigh. 

Though everything was content in that moment, Emma noticed the bigger picture floating behind Regina's eyes, begging to release itself like a hungry demon searching for answers. She saw that..while there was reason to be happy, there was also reason to be worried, and reason to  _ fear.  _ Knowing what was tearing at Regina internally made Emma shift, because it too, was tearing at her  _ own  _ insides. The sad part? She had answers. She just isn’t sure Regina is prepared to handle the extent of them, because the one person she spent the majority of her life doing nothing but good for, was behind the crisis.

And when Regina broke the current silence, having waited for seconds to pass by, Emma thought this was it; the moment the ice breaks, and the truth comes about. The truth that Cora was behind killing Emma. 

And she wasn’t right, but she wasn’t exactly  _ wrong,  _ either. 

“What was it like? Drowning.” When it passed through Regina’s lips, the both of them were immediately aware that it wasn’t the question that was intended to be asked, but it was one that softened the approach, and possibly made Regina feel more reassured about speaking of it.

Burrowing her head further into the pillows behind her, Emma shifted her sight to the ceiling, taking a deep breath that centered her state of mind. When Regina’s hand gave a supportive squeeze, Emma’s eyes fell back onto brown ones. Noticing the lack of push in Regina’s eyes, and the  _ uncertainty  _ in the question she had asked the blonde, it only made Emma want to elaborate more. She then spoke in an unsteady statement that came out posed as a question. “I….liked it?” 

It was difficult to explain, because at first she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it at  _ all. _ No, at first, it was cold, and bitter, and a  _ struggle.  _ The last few seconds of her life were the ones she felt content in, because her body gave up its fight, and it’s will to live. And somehow when your mind really  _ does  _ stop thinking, you just…  _ exist.  _ Though impossible, it feels as though you’re living the last few moments of your life to its fullest. Because there are no other options but to just  _ float.  _ You’re past the drowning, and you’re past the restless ache in your chest that begs for air. You’re simply alive, but you’re  _ dead. _

Regina’s face coiled as soon as Emma’s words registered, hitting like a punch to the heart in an attempt to weigh it down. She’s more than positive her eyes have begun to convey the hurt the statement brought her, especially when Emma hastily moved to cover up her own words. 

“Woah,  _ woah _ —Regina…” Her eyes widened in protest upon the thoughts that wracked Regina’s mind, almost as though she heard them loud and clear. “I don’t mean I... _ enjoyed  _ drowning.” Seconds ticked away, as an audible swallow echoed in the small room. “You don’t actually think that, right?.” 

“You said you liked it. Contrary to your own belief, saying you  _ like  _ it, is the same as saying you  _ enjoyed it. _ ” Regina pursed her lips in unamusement, her throat constricting lightly upon Emma’s confession. 

“It’s more complicated than that, really. I’m not that masochistic, I’d never—” 

“Kill yourself?” Regina’s words startled Emma to the point of an open mouthed expression, her insides churning with disbelief. 

Moments of silence passed, Regina both afraid of what Emma might think about the question, and also afraid of what Emma’s  _ answer would be.  _ When the silence grew thicker, Regina had  _ thought  _ she found her heartbreaking answer, the quietness from the blonde being a silent and guilt ridden yes. But then Emma spoke—

“I wouldn’t even  _ consider  _ that…” The hesitant response held a silent and hidden,  _ why would you ask that?  _ The way Emma was now looking at Regina made the older woman want to duck her head, because as soon as the admission came to surface, she felt dumb as to why she’d think such in the first place. But then she remembers that Emma  _ lost  _ herself for a while, and whether or not she is completely back, she  _ did  _ act as though it was a possibility. 

“Well, forgive me if your words were a bit more than confusing.” A sharp clear of her throat, and Regina felt slightly out of place. Emma noticed immediately the shift in attitude, and she quickly did her best to rid of any doubt that may tear at the brunette's mind by reassuring and conveying what her words  _ really  _ meant. 

“For the first minute or so, it was—” Emma steadied herself, sucking her cheeks in for a moment as she scooted backwards and up the bed, bending her torso as she sat up. “It was the most painful and... _ scary  _ moment… I mean I- I couldn’t  _ breathe.  _ My body was doing nothing but  _ begging  _ for air. And the amount of adrenaline?” She blew a fake whistle to emphasize the amount, before continuing. “It made me feel like I was on fire. But then… once I took a breath—  _ well,  _ it was like being wrapped in a security blanket. I was warm, peaceful, and content. I had finally accepted defeat.” A beat. “I was ready to die.” 

Regina’s face morphed into one of both empathy and regret as Emma’s words registered in her brain, forming imaginary pictures at the scene Emma was describing. Undermining the way the situation made her heart feel, she swallowed, before looking down at their locked hands. “I’m sorry for assuming—”

“No, it’s okay. I mean I understand where you thought otherwise…” Emma’s hand reassured Regina by squeezing twice, a sigh filtering through the brunette's nose. 

Though the next question of the older woman was only a broken down version of  _ many _ , She thought that the four words could clear up a lot, because a simple yes or no would suffice in calming down the majority of her reckless thoughts. Her throat clenched around her words. “Did you fall in?” 

Emma caught immediately the way Regina’s eyes raced back and forth between her own, always proof that the woman was internally bracing herself. And when the wrinkles between Regina’s brows became evident, Emma’s chest expanded in a deep breath, because her lover already  _ knew  _ that if she didn’t  _ fall  _ in, she was  _ pushed.  _ And that in itself opens an entire window, one of which Emma wants to duct tape closed, because she can never go but so long without something standing in the way of her happiness. 

And like race horses nearing on their track, the jockey huffing and puffing with ambition, Emma felt her heart slowly and slowly grow in both size and speed. 

The monitor beeped. 

And the air grew still. 

Seconds passed before Emma finally spoke. 

“No. No, I didn’t fall in.” 

“You didn’t fall in.” Regina repeated the words aloud, almost as though she was testing how realistic they were, and it didn’t go unnoticed that they held an untasteful ache, starting in her gut. 

Emma uncomfortably shifted at the sight of Regina pulling the side of her bottom lip between her teeth, in a form of frustration and an array of thoughts; it was always something she normally did before an outburst. Except this time, Emma didn’t see the familiar vein popping in Regina’s forehead, and she also didn’t see any traces of flush on the woman’s neck, both of which were great signs to take precaution. Instead, she watched Regina sink away like an anchor in rough waters, the blonde fighting the urge to shake her. The woman was angry, sure. But she looked _ defeated _ , and the look  _ never  _ suited her. And when Regina spoke again, Emma felt second hand heartbreak, because the hurt and betrayal in her voice was  _ evident.  _

In a hushed tone, Regina spoke, a weight in the words floating from her mouth and onto Emma’s chest. “Was it mother?” 

There was something terribly frightening about Regina's question, because it meant that whether in the back of her mind or not, it had been suspected. Perhaps she had given herself the time to prepare mentally for any answer Emma would give her? Either way, Emma knows the truth will be heavy and unsettling for Regina. 

Admitting softly, Emma spoke with disappointment that they both understood as soon as it came. The truth, many times, felt like an intruder. One that will knock on your door, and upon hearing your response of  _ go away,  _ will let itself in regardless. 

In jumbled speech, Emma burst. “I couldn’t get my magic to work, and—  _ god... _ She was choking me and- and I just…” 

“She  _ choked  _ you?” Regina’s voice rose in volume, as well as disbelief, that was really an acknowledgment of  _ betrayal,  _ And  _ Hurt. _ Her mouth once again formed an  _ O,  _ her worry lines framing her face after her reply to Emma’s words. 

“It’s how I drowned, really. I was unconscious the first— _ hell _ , I dunno, 2 or 3 minutes?” Upon Emma’s words, which came out so carelessly, Regina felt an alphabet of emotions swirl within her stomach. 

The silence grew uncomfortably between the both of them, when all of a sudden Regina asked a question that was least expected. _ _

“I need to know something.” She released air that she’d been holding in. “Did Daniel attack you?” 

“Do you think I’d shoot him for no reason?” Emma shot back almost immediately, her eyebrows showing her concern in the question, because she felt that the answer was purely obvious. 

“I thought so.” Regina ignored the challenge in the rhetorical question, her head nodding at the reassurance. Her eyes danced across the edges of the molding between each painted brick in the hospital wall, her brain working in thousands of directions as she thought back to clues that might suggest  _ anything  _ leading up to this. 

_ Belle.  _

“Belle.” Regina spoke unconsciously, her face lighting up with a level one victory. “That’s it.” 

Emma’s face contorted into one of pure and utter confusion, Regina meeting her wide eyes with a mischievous and problem solved grin. “What’s… what’s  _ it? _ ” 

Emma’s worry only grew as she watched a toothy grin flood Regina’s face, the blonde's head tilting as she took it to mean something doubtful, and no doubt  _ revengeful _ . Spitting and sputtering, Emma attempted to get any coherent word from her mouth, all the while failing. 

Noticing the blondes state of emotion, Regina gave a soft laugh. “Em-ma.” 

“I—  _ what? _ ” She almost comically squeaked, in true Emma fashion. 

The onslaught of joy in Regina died down drastically, a small smile still on the corner of her lips as she looked at Emma with hope of a successful outcome. Her joyous moment was simply spurred on by the knowledge that she understood exactly where to go from here, because it was not always an easy task, taking on these situations that often proved to be as difficult as life long riddles. And most people would find moments such as these simply psychotic; but after years of work in this particular field, Regina can’t help but find herself happy with the idea of  _ succeeding.  _ And though getting to the depth of her mother's intentions would likely  _ still  _ be an uneasy feat, she at least knew where to start. 

It was that, and the idea of returning to a normal life with  _ Emma,  _ that made her experience such temporary happiness. 

“The Queen and the Savior are no doubt soon to be back in business, my love.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Regina would be lying if she said there wasn’t an underlying worry that Emma would have another episode of doubt in the strength of their relationship. Doubt in the  _ trust,  _ and doubt in  _ Regina.  _ She couldn’t exactly help it, because Emma had proven multiple times over the last week that she had more uncertainty and hesitation within her than she ever had.

It scared Regina. 

Despite that, though, she noticed a drastic difference in the woman. And though she had begun to see Emma in a new light right around the beginning of their relationship, she now stands beside an Emma that radiates the same intimidating energy as she did the first year the two met. No beaten down and tethered version, one with wounds so evident it sometimes hurt to look at her, but a glowing and bright version. An Emma that showed no worry. And If she did? It was temporary. It was  _ normal.  _ Regina thinks that, maybe that’s what happens when you die and come back to life, but either way; She felt as though she could place  _ all  _ of her eggs in Emma’s basket, and never expect one to come back damaged. 

Hesitantly walking shoulder to shoulder, the two emerged from around the corner to face a crew of worried family, Emma having just been discharged. 

Regina gave a tight lipped smile and nod towards David, affirming everything was peachy, as she stood aside and watched him follow closely behind a frantic Snow, one who was urgently making her way to wrap Emma tightly in her arms. “Oh, Emma—” 

Emma’s face contorted into one of slight discomfort, the grip Snow had around her torso proving her lungs could  _ definitely  _ use a break. An uncomfortable grunt left Emma’s throat, and If Regina had the ears of a German shepherd, they’d definitely be standing at attention. “Oh—too tight—  _ too tight _ ”

“ _ Snow _ ” Regina narrowed her eyes in warning, catching Snow’s line of sight, rousing the short haired brunette to quickly release her hold, hesitantly pulling her chin from Emma’s shoulder. 

“Sorry... _ sorry _ .” Shrugging her shoulders in innocence, the woman shifted her eyes from Regina’s to Emma’s, conveying every ounce of love and worry she felt in one simple blink. When Snow sighed, everyone stiffened, because it meant she was readying herself for a—...  _ what does Regina call it?  _ Aha! A  _ hope speech.  _

“I love you  _ so so  _ much, Emma. And we are  _ all  _ here for you, no matter what. Through the ups and downs, we will be right here by your side. Don’t ever give up.” Emma uncomfortably shifted her eyes to her fathers, who mouthed a small ‘ _ sorry’,  _ though he really wasn’t. He knew exactly how Snow could be. But If he would have known what was coming next, he would have shut her up  _ himself.  _ “Don’t  _ ever  _ give up. Okay? And... I just want you to know that if  _ anything  _ ever upsets you again, or if you ever feel so weighted, to the point of doing… doing  _ that—”  _

“Doing what?” Emma passively raised her eyebrows, everyone in the area making eye contact in sudden discomfort, because  _ apparently  _ Regina wasn’t the only one who suspected such travesty from the blonde.

“Snow…” Regina quietly called her name in a hushed tone, though it did no good. At Least in the way she had  _ hoped,  _ which was for her to pick up the dropped hint; the one screaming words that are written in bold and read,  **SHE WASN’T COMMITTING SUICIDE!**

“What? Why is everyone looking at me?” Snow’s eyes went wide in confusion and growing embarrassment. “Can’t I just make sure my daughter understands that suicide is  _ never  _ the only option?” 

It had apparently flown over their shoulders, the fact that Henry was in the room. But when he took a step forward into everyone’s peripheral, Red behind him, he disbelievingly spoke, his large heart doing its very best to grasp the situation. “You were going to… you were going to  _ kill  _ yourself?” 

Regina’s eyes immediately softened the moment they landed on Henry’s, the boy staring in desperation, clinging to the silence that filtered through the air in hopes it meant this was all a dream. Or a  _ nightmare.  _ “Henry, Sweetie—” 

“For god's sake!” Emma exasperatedly broke Regina’s comforting attempt at a sentence in two, speaking loud and clear to the people before her. 

It didn’t sit right with Emma, the fact that everyone really thought she’d stoop to such a mental low. It was offending, if she were to be honest. Only because, In a sense, it meant there was trust that broke somewhere along the line of all relationships. It meant that her words of  _ I’m fine,  _ weren’t often believed. Granted, she wasn’t always  _ fine...  _ but she was  _ never  _ suicidal. 

She knows it is wrong for getting angry at the people who  _ care. _ And she also knows that...for a while there, she  _ was  _ losing it; and she still doesn’t know  _ why.  _ So maybe, in their shoes, it’s a different story. 

“No. I don’t where the  _ hell  _ you all came up with  _ that  _ conclusion, but right now we have bigger problems. Problems, such as the  _ real  _ reason I ended up drowning. So, If you don’t mind…” Emma gripped the freshly cleaned leather jacket that lay across her shoulder, sliding her arms through it with ease. “I’d like to get these- these…  _ real  _ issues dealt with. Okay? Because quite frankly, I  _ want  _ to be with my family. And I  _ want  _ to be capable of having  _ one fucking normal conversation. _ ” 

Snow’s chest visibly sunk in, as well as Henry’s, Regina and David merely just concerned for Emma’s well being. They could easily see where it was a two way street, both routes leading to the same exact destination, because both Emma  _ and  _ Snow made complete sense. Each story had a different beginning, which can easily and  _ drastically  _ change the whole plot. 

When Emma caught a small glisten behind Snow’s eyes, she remembered that this was her  _ mother.  _ And she was only doing exactly what Emma dreamt a mother would do for her, nearly her entire life.  _ Worrying.  _ With a deep breath that gathered everyone’s concerned eyes, Emma dropped her own to the floor, speaking in a much more deflated manner. 

“I’m sorry. That was unfair of me...” Her thumbs hooked in her back pockets, as she swallowed to salivate her tensed throat. “But no, uh… I didn’t attempt suicide. I was actually just making my way  _ back  _ from the town line… and… I ran into Cora. So… I wasn’t going to  _ leave. _ Or— I  _ was.  _ But I decided it was a really _ , terribly  _ planned, impulsive decision. And I’ve never been good at those.” With a nervous sniff, Emma waited until she felt Regina’s supportive hand stroke her back, to look up into the eyes of her Mother. “And I love you, too, by the way.” When the words left her mouth, Emma noticed the abrupt change in Snows stance, the woman’s eyes growing doughy. 

When silence that was more comfortable than the previous grew seconds long, David sighed as he broke it. “Well, I guess that settles it.” Always the mood swinger, he was. 

“How  _ charming. _ ” Regina sarcastically raised her brows at the man who stood before her, Henry coming to stand at her side as he carefully eyed his biological mom. 

Upon the remembrance of the hurtful things he previously said to her, he tore his eyes downwards. Regardless of how wrong and frightening Emma’s abrupt will to leave may have been, he still feels as though he had very little right to speak to her in the way he did. And then, when he thought _ longer _ , he realized that those words were nearly the  _ last  _ he ever spoke to her. 

He wanted to change that. 

Nearly shoving aside Regina and Snow, with a great and sorrowful desperation, he barreled into Emma’s long arms, the blonde's hand immediately coming to cradle his head. “I love you, Ma. I do. I really love you, I—I need you to—” 

“I know, Kid. I know.” Neither of them could stop the water works, especially when Emma gripped over his ears on both sides of his head, holding his eye contact. “And I’ll always love you  _ more. _ ” 

Though it was an emotional scene the second the pair walked in, Regina found herself nearing the urge to sob in utter contentment and glee, this newly found peace of mind coming to the center of her brain. Watching the scene before her, lover and son wrapped together in one, she knew that…  _ that _ was the sight she wanted to wake up to. It is exactly how she wants to spend the rest of her life; with Emma Swan and their son, Henry Mills. 

Slowly and tearfully walking towards the two, Regina found herself acting as the bread to a sandwich, Henry in the middle as the two older women squashed him together. Snow and David stood back observing, as It was the perfect moment between the family; even when Henry began to giggle from suffocation, and  _ Especially  _ when Regina leaned forward just enough to whisper in Emma’s ear,  _ I'm so in love with you.  _

Unbeknownst to the three, Red had already snapped several photos. 

_ These were no doubt going on Granny’s memory wall.  _

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“Are we just going to pretend that Mom didn’t act surprised when I mentioned that Cora had been after me? I mean… didn’t she act a little, I dunno,  _ off _ ?” Emma looked mysteriously at Regina, before Snapping her eyes towards Snow, who sat away in the furthest booth accompanied by her smaller family. 

“Snow has known my mother for a very long time, Dear. I’m sure her lack of astonishment had to do with mother's oh so predictable intentions, which are  _ always  _ Evil.” Regina shook her head in disgust, as she subconsciously twirled the bar stool beneath her. 

Releasing a gruntled huff, Emma placed her head in her hands, admitting defeat. “I just want a break from the world right now. Is that so much to ask?” 

“When you live in StoryBrooke...I’m afraid  _ it is. _ ” Giving a heart felt rub to Emma’s back, Regina bit back a smile at the childlike attitude. 

Emma knew that she was right, because of course living in a fairytale comes with ups and downs in all shapes and sizes; but it’d be nice to have another break from the world, much like the one she had when Regina and herself  _ first  _ got together. She remembers the radio silence within Storybrooke, and how uncomfortably  _ real  _ it felt for a short period of time. And then, upon that thought, like an abrupt waterfall endlessly pouring, a sudden realization was brought to Emma’s senses. 

“How long did you say Cora had been in StoryBrooke?” 

Though Regina’s brows furrowed in confusion, she still answered. “Well, I’d say a while before you broke the sleeping curse.” The older woman sat up with the nerve that Emma was onto something. “Why?” 

The younger woman’s eyes widened in the slightest, her chest puffing itself out as she fiddled with the salt shaker in front of her. “Storybrooke was the most peaceful it had ever been right after that…and Cora was still here. What does that mean?” Looking at Regina, who tilted her head in thought, Emma couldn’t help but evaluate all of the conversations she had between Cora and herself. 

And in both victory and devastation, the answer collided with Emma’s brain so roughly it sent her for a loop. 

It means she wanted them together. She wanted them together, so she could break them  _ apart.  _ And if she wanted them apart, it would easily go to explain the way Cora so convincingly pushed Emma to the brink on several occasions, the woman  _ finally  _ making the decision to Flee. 

It explained the Sleeping Curse. The curse that _no one,_ not even she _herself,_ expected the Savior to break. Emma thinks that must have been Cora’s _first_ attempt. 

It explained the coincidental chest pain that Henry endured every moment Emma and Regina got heartbreakingly close to him, all the while their chest feeling as though they would explode in agony.

It explained  _ Daniel,  _ the most  _ perfect  _ distraction. One that seemed to work in tearing Emma away so hellishly. 

And it explained the monstrous thoughts in Emma’s mind that somehow  _ always  _ spiked when Cora was near, embedding negative thoughts into her skull. 

_ “My daughter deserves better than you.”  _

It was manipulation at its finest. 

“I figured it out.” Regina had just begun to speak, her concern for Emma’s growing silence getting the best of her, until the Blonde snapped in accomplishment, cutting her off. 

In a low and gravelly voice, Regina answered, truthfully interested in what Emma had to say. “What did you figure out?”

Emma’s eyes connected with Regina’s, the smile behind the irises automatically bringing Brown ones to soften in sync. She spoke in soft victory. “She failed. Cora  _ failed. _ ” 

“She... did? What are you talking about?” Regina’s face clouded with confusion the moment Emma’s hand gripped hers atop the bar counter. 

“Her  _ intentions?  _ The ones we have been dying to figure out? I kinda got it.” Emma’s victorious smirk left Regina battling her state of both amusement and confusion, the latter being her chosen emotion. But, before Regina or Emma we’re capable of speaking again, they found Snow and David standing directly behind them, Snow being the one to open her mouth.

“You figured it out?” She was surprised, and equally relieved. 

Regina’s eyes rolled purposely at the woman’s perfect eavesdropping, biting back the tempting comments when Emma nudged her bicep using her own elbow, before continuing to speak. “It’s messy, for sure. But as far as I understand, the whole point was to come between Regina and I. It explains everything. And uh...she  _ failed.  _ So I’m happy.” Her eyes snapped between the three other adults, uncomfortable curiosity growing within the silence. “Why aren’t you all jumping for joy? Throwing hats… pissing yourself...etcetera”

David smiled sadly towards his daughter. “There is always more to it than that. Isn’t there?”

“Your father is right, Dear. I’m afraid we will have to... _ piss ourselves  _ another time.” Regina turned back towards the bar, Emma eyeing her all the while. 

“I understand that it’s a large disaster, one that we have to investigate to completely understand, but… you don’t think  _ now  _ is the perfect time to get rid of Cora? I mean—  _ come on. _ ” Emma’s eyes switched between each of her parents, Regina now side eyeing her in a way that made the blonde believe she felt  _ sorry  _ for her. 

Regina loved the new found determination within Emma, especially when she had so recently found herself missing it more than she ever imagined, but getting rid of her mother was nearly  _ impossible.  _ It would take planning, and training, and— 

“I agree with Emma.” Snow’s chirpy voice cut off her thoughts. “I think that, now that we are all back together, we need to dive head first. We can’t give her the opportunity to tear our family in two again, don’t you think, David?”

At the mention of his name, his eyes grew wide, not once moving as they looked deliberately into Snows, a silent argument immediately taking place. 

Regina’s irritated voice brought an end to any hidden conversations, everyone’s attention on the older woman. “Snow, you and I  _ both _ are aware of the wrath within my mother. This isn’t just something we can do on a whim. This could easily be the largest disaster Storybrooke has dealt with yet, and Quite frankly, I don't want to risk seeing anyone  _ else  _ that I love  _ die. _ ”

At the mention of death, everyone within close proximity of the other deflated, their eyes shifting downwards, Regina conscious of the fact that she hit a soft spot. “I’m glad that Mother failed in her most previous attempts at ripping Emma and I apart— ripping  _ all  _ of us apart...but our next approach has to be carefully evaluated.” 

Regina ended her words with a simple look that had  _ ‘end of discussion’  _ written all over it, Emma’s eyes temporarily downcast at the abrupt change in the woman’s attitude. When Regina noticed this, she gripped Emma’s hand tightly in her own, a move that had grown to be a form of silent reassurance between the two. 

As the two women were smiling at one another, Snow once again had something to say. “You’re right, Regina.” A beat. “Any ideas on what our next move is?” 

Pursing her lips, Regina brought herself to a more upright position in the bar stool, her body still facing Emma as she subconsciously cast a glance towards her son who was occupied with Baby Neal. 

She sighed through her nose. “First, I have to speak to a certain bookworm.” Sarcasm dripped from her next statement. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the one.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


_ Love.  _

As Emma and Henry walk hand in hand with Regina along the streets of Storybrooke, blue green eyes picking apart every strand of Regina’s wind blown hair,  _ that  _ is what she feels. Love. And It’s not difficult to place, because in that moment, any and every worry is forgotten about. The future isn’t spared another glance of worry, as the present is far too precious at this moment in time. Emma doesn’t think she’d look, anyways; this sight before her is breathtaking in the most marvelous of ways. And for the first time in what felt like forever, her chest expanded in utterly  _ beautiful  _ emotion. The last few moments of sunset in Storybrooke, Main, bringing that beautiful sense of autumn to Regina’s eyes. 

Eyes which now looked into the depths of Emma’s, an unspoken but comfortable feeling behind them. “You’re staring.” An eyebrow perfectly arched along with the growing smirk on Regina’s face, Emma’s smile growing with the sight. 

“I’m appreciating the view.” She distractedly spoke, as she felt compelled to count every golden speck in Regina’s eyes. 

“You guys are such...such— _ girlfriends _ ” Henry fainted disgust, though when Emma finally made eye contact with him, he was grinning happily, swinging Regina’s arm up and down in an exaggerated excitement. 

It flew past Emma’s head, the use of the term  _ girlfriends.  _ But when Regina’s perfect line of teeth made themselves known, Henry knew  _ she  _ heard it. 

“I prefer _ partners _ . But—” Regina finally moved her line of sight from Emma, catching Henry’s face contort into one of annoyance. 

Rolling his eyes, he scoffed. “You’re so particular about things, Mom.” 

Fainting offense, Regina furrowed her eyebrows, a small smile still on her plump lips. “There is  _ nothing  _ wrong with being  _ particular. _ ” 

Emma had grown so enamored with Regina’s facial expressions and the warmth that emanated from their locked palms, palms which  _ also  _ happened to be a little sweaty, that she had completely missed the playful bickering taking place between mother and son. 

“What are we talking about?” Pitching in, Emma watched both Heads snap in her direction. 

Henry smirked mischievously, his eyes glimmering with playful tease. “You’re mom's girlfriend.” 

“ _ Partner—”  _ Regina corrected. 

Henry high-spiritedly pointed out, “Lover, honey bun, mistress, your  _ person— _ ” ignoring the shocked gasp from his mothers, that were most likely aimed at his use of the word  _ mistress,  _ he continued. “They all mean the same thing. Pick one.” He giggled, to add a playfulness to the statement. 

Emma tilted her head back to hum in question, pretending as though she was picking from the many options, when really she was waiting on the go ahead and reassurance from Regina that a  _ label  _ was okay in the _ first  _ place. 

“What do you think, Gina’?” Tugging playfully at Regina’s hand, though an underlying weight was there, she waited. 

When Regina giggled, and she  _ giggled,  _ Emma knew it was okay. And that she need not worry, because right here was where she was supposed to be. Labels or no labels. 

“I still prefer  _ partners. _ ” 

Henry sighed at his mother's words. “That sounds too much like  _ ‘partner in crime’. _ And that’s too cliche” 

Emma tilted her head in acknowledgement of his words, because if she  _ did  _ have a say, she would agree. 

Regina huffed in defeat. “Fine.” Her eyes soon found Emma’s, looking the woman up and down, almost as though it’d bring some type of name to her mind. 

_ It did.  _

Emma swallowed. “So...what will it be?” 

It was so... _ Regina _ , what the woman chose. And the simplicity of it all brought Emma back to the day Regina shared her love for roses. Because while they are simplistic, there is always room for  _ more.  _

For such an enigma of a woman, Regina  _ always  _ felt drawn to the simple things. And it was almost baffling, because Emma Swan was the exact  _ opposite  _ of simple. 

Perhaps that is what made them so special, in the first place. They each pushed the others boundaries, and beyond the finish line, they found  _ love.  _

“You’re my person.” Regina smiled softly, the weight of the words wrapping them both in a blanket of contentment. 

Silence.

“You’re my person, too.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Snow listened to the dial tones that filtered through the phone one by one, sitting patiently at her apartment table, as she waited for Belle to answer the phone. 

The crew had decided it’d be best for all of them to meet up with Belle in the library, the danger of one going alone too great. 

“Uh— _ uhm,  _ hello?” Belle answered, and upon speaking, she sounded confused, and  _ uncomfortable.  _

“Belle! I haven’t heard from you in a while. Listen, I was just wondering if—” 

“You’ve got the wrong number” 

Snow paused abruptly, her brows furrowing and head jerking in bewilderment. She could have sworn this person sounded  _ exactly  _ like Belle, so, who could she have accidentally called? 

Pulling the phone backwards to re-observe the contact name, and noticing it did indeed read Belle, she put it back against her ear. “Are you sure this isn’t... Belle?” 

Static echoed through her ear. 

“Sorry, I  _ uhm…  _ I don’t know a  _ Belle. _ Maybe you called the wrong number..” 

Getting the sense that the woman was nearing the urge to hang up, Snow stopped her in an abrupt fear. 

“Wait!” 

Not yet hearing the signal of one hanging up, Snow swallowed, before continuing. 

“What is your name?” 

  
  
  
  


_ “Lacey.”  _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedbackkk!! Pweeees I’m hungry for itttt!


	24. Dream catcher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Large bewildered eyes met her own, a small sweat breaking across the surface of the blondes forehead. 
> 
> “Pandora’s box.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIIII!!! I’m so so sorry for the two week wait! Believe me when I say my life has been bombarded with what I can only describe as 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon! I hope none of you left me, because that would truly break my heart. 
> 
> I would also like to add a quick thing. PLEASE add me on Instagram! I’ve got a growing fan account, and it is dedicated to not only the ship, but my writing. I’ll be posting regular updates/teasers on there, so that would be greatly appreciated if you sent me a follow! The @ is @Evil.appleSQ 
> 
> I hope this chapter is up to par. Much love!!

“Does this make me a bad person?” 

Regina shakily gripped at the damp sheets that lay lifeless against her stark form, chest heaving as her heart rate began its descent to normal. As her eyes did their very best to both close and stay open, she felt the smallest sense of guilt, just like any human being with a decent head on their shoulders would. 

Emma and Regina didn’t  _ intend  _ on having crazed and senseless animal sex. No, not at  _ all.  _ They had larger things to worry about, such as a life threatening mother and a risen from the dead ex-lover. And they’d love nothing  _ more,  _ than to blame the sweaty skin and wild hair on their time apart, the lack of calm communication giving them this need to ride it out. But unfortunately, they both know it wasn’t that simple. 

“Does  _ what  _ make you a bad person?” Emma’s shoulder brushed Regina’s, the two looking up at the ceiling as they still fought to come down from their previous high. 

As it turns out, sex during a life altering crisis gives it that needed  _ spice.  _ Which— Regina could have sworn there was no room left for anymore spice.  _ She was wrong.  _

“Having sex while our lives are in grave danger.” Regina closed her eyes, heavily weighing her words, and continuously ignoring the mantra that’s being repeated between her legs. 

Truth is, not  _ once  _ did Regina stop to consider the sleep that was needed, and the knowledge that could have been obtained and used by some form of reading. Not while she continuously smacked the headboard with a muffled Emma writhing beneath her. 

Not after the first orgasm, with fingers buried as deep as they could go within the confines of  _ her.  _

Not after her second orgasm, with the same sticky fingers wrapped around a breast, Emma’s tongue replacing their previous home. 

And not after her  _ third _ orgasm _ ,  _ embarrassingly quivering and jolting as Emma moved from behind her, the brunette's arms giving out before she collapsed against a pillow. 

And that was  _ before  _ Emma ever got her turn. And the Blonde was  _ way too generous  _ when on the receiving end. 

“Well, do you think  _ I’m  _ a bad person?” Emma rolled onto her side facing Regina, as a hand kept her head propped up, the question posed in sarcasm. 

Regina hummed, a bit delirious in her approach to the answer. “Not at all.” 

“Well, I’m more than positive that we  _ both  _ participated in that.” Emma’s fingers trailed lazily across Regina’s sternum, lulling the brunette to drop her head in Emma’s direction. “Besides, if that makes you a terrible person, then  _ I’m  _ a terrible person. And if you ask me… I say It’s a win win.”

A small smile grew on Regina’s face, her heart beat still racing beneath Emma’s fingertips, which lightly tap in rhythm on her neck. “A win win?” 

“Yes.” Emma grinned. 

As the last bit of night disappeared to only be replaced by the pale blue light of morning, Regina felt her eyes grow heavy with sleep, her body deprived of rest due to the hectic days she had encountered. Though she felt this way, she was caught between the idea of Emma in her arms as they both rest in a well deserved sleep, and the idea of gazing into the blonde's eyes as though she didn’t already have them memorized. 

Gracefully sitting up, the satin sheets fell from Regina’s chest, her hair falling across one shoulder as she turned to tower over Emma. “What’s the prize?” 

“Uhm—” Emma pondered, slightly distracted by the newly arrived guest. “I’ll...cook us...breakfast?” 

It was kind of absurd, and most definitely uncalled for, the way Regina’s thoughts ran away from her. But like many times, she simply couldn’t help but observe the woman before her, the room growing non existent. As she trailed off, Her eyes taking in every detail of Emma’s face, it wasn’t until she studied the blonde lips that she realized she was being spoken to. “I—  _ what? _ ” 

“Were you even listening to me?” Emma grinned in disbelief, her eyes widening as she watched puzzlement flash across Regina’s face. 

She feigned offence at the question, scoffing to make her fib more believing.“Of course.” 

“Right.” Emma sucked her teeth, arching a brow. “What did I say then, Your majesty? Do tell.” 

Narrowing her eyes, Regina slowly slid down and into Emma’s arms, the blonde giggling as she enveloped her. The older woman would be lying if she said her actions weren’t to get away with her previous ones, ones that consisted of her completely  _ not  _ listening to Emma. 

Sarcastically and playfully, Regina murmured into the soft skin of Emma’s neck, taking both her and her companion by surprise with her following words. “Something...something….dark side?” 

“Did you just—?” Emma’s gasped at the reference, Regina picking up where her sentence trailed off. 

“Quote Star Wars?” The brunette chuckled, before peppering kisses along Emma’s neck. “Yes.” 

Emma’s eyes froze on the crowning of the room, her mind running circles in acknowledgment that Regina just quoted Star Wars. Normally, it wouldn’t be such a large deal; but because this is  _ storybrooke,  _ and Regina is a fairytale character, she forgets that she knows these things. It makes her swoon, if she’s being honest. It reminds her that, despite the many supernatural things she comes in contact with, this part of the world is just as real as the rest of it. 

“You should dress up as Princess Leia. Get some role play going on.” Emma sarcastically suggested, soon giggling at the simultaneous ones against her throat. 

“And what? You’ll dress up as Luke?” Though Emma couldn’t see it, an eyebrow arched perfectly across Regina’s face. 

“No, actually. I was thinking...solo.” 

More banter grew between the two, the both of them continuously discussing things that made them both feel as though they didn’t have an entire town of destruction to face, sooner or later. It wasn’t until the sun rose in its glory, that Emma and Regina shamefully fell asleep, still wrapped in the familiar positions. 

__**__**__**_ 

  
  


“Where is Snow?” Regina eyed David, as Emma cradled Neal in her arms on the opposite side of the room, the four of them together in the sheriff's station as they put together a plan. 

“She said she was on her way.” David buried his head between his hands, while Emma snapped in a polite voice, as she was bouncing the boy on her hip. “That was an hour ago.” 

Emma and Regina’s previous domestic time together was snapped in two, the moment Emma sprung upwards in the bed, sweaty and huffing. Upon Regina’s multiple concerned questions, the blonde soon elaborated on the fact that she was having  _ visions.  _ Visions of what had been taking place in the clock tower, during the treacherous mess. Though the brunette didn’t want to poke the statement with a ten foot stick, she begrudgingly called David in an attempt to push backwards the small meeting the family had planned. Like Regina had previously told Emma, living in Storybrooke means no rest. But, as she was carefully caressing the blondes back, she couldn’t help but wish to god they were somewhere  _ else _ in that moment. 

As long as she has Emma, she supposes she can deal with it. 

“I’m here!” a few sounds of clatter spilled from beyond the office hall, including a few huffs which proved the short haired brunette had, indeed, rushed herself. 

“Really? Had no idea.” Regina’s sarcastic remark earned a sideways glance from Emma, and a sigh from David, who pushed himself up from the desk in a move to help his wife with the confines in her hands. 

“Sorry about this, it’s—  _ uhm...  _ “ Snow laughed nervously, her husband taking the bag from her hands. “It doesn’t matter. But I have news—” 

“So does your daughter. And I assure you, it’s far more important than whether or not you’ve been officiated as a nun.” Regina continues to bite, the majority of it unintentional. 

Snow gasped, in hurt. “Regina! That’s not...how that works.” 

Ever since that morning, Regina had been sour. It was a slew of things, such as the fact that she hadn’t had a proper sleep, and her brain was running on caffeine and a secret potion— _ which,  _ Emma would either murder her for taking or steal for herself. And she was also upset, because right now, she would very much prefer to be in the blonde's arms. Or...doing  _ something  _ domestic and cheesy that she never thought she’d enjoy in the first place. 

She thinks it might make her selfish, wanting Emma to herself. But as she averts her eyes from the now confused husband and wife, she feels a pang in her chest, acknowledging the fact that this just might never end. Almost as soon as the thought arrived, a comforting hand placed itself on her back, Emma now looking at her with empathetic eyes. 

Ofcourse, she understands. 

“What is up your ass, Regina?” David crossed his arms, having sat down the items his wife entered with, before tilting his head in further question. “None of us want to be here, right now. This isn’t exactly a hay day, for any of us.” 

Furrowing her eyebrows, Regina met Emma’s eyes again, Snow immediately recognizing the exchange. With a heavy sigh, the blonde answered for her. “Just a rough time, Dad. That’s all.” 

David’s lips thinned, while Snow’s eyes steadily grew  _ sorry.  _ According to Regina, though, now wasn’t the time for moping. “We haven’t got all day.” She looked knowingly into Snow's eyes, an intimidating sentence behind her own. “Snow?” 

“Right.” The pixie haired woman fiddled with her fingers, Completely oblivious to Neals continues babbles of ‘mama’, as she felt her heart climb it’s way into her throat. “I don’t know how to approach this, uhm—” Everyone’s eyes landed on hers, and though each pair expressed something entirely different, Snow felt more  _ pressured. _

__ And so she babbled. “IthinkthatbellesmemorieswerewipedandIdont—” 

Regina broke down every word, while father and daughter remained clueless, and even more so, when the furious voice boomed through the office. “You think  _ what!? _ ” Heels clacked against the tile floor, Emma suddenly startled at Regina’s sudden move closer towards her mother. 

Swallowing, Snow answered in a quiet voice. “I think that...Belle's memories were wiped. I think Cora knows we were...headed there.” 

Emma watched the vein grow prominent on Regina’s forehead, and the flush rise across the expanse of her chest. She understood the exact emotions running through the brunettes veins, almost as if they were her own. And despite the familiar ache and reciprocated acknowledgement, Emma decided she’d step forward. “It’s fine, Regina.” 

“It’s fine!?” Regans yanked herself towards Emma, her eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry if you missed something, but nothing about this, is  _ fine. _ If there was any chance at understanding the depth of my mother’s intentions, it’s long gone, now.” Every bite stung, despite the fact that Emma knew it wasn’t anything to take personal. 

“Are you forgetting the reason we are here? There  _ is  _ still a chance, Regina. But whether there is or not, anger is never the way to go about it.” As Emma spoke, Neal clambered down her torso, brushing past Regina as he slid into Snow’s arms. The child’s movements, Emma grew thankful for; it made the air a bit less stiff. 

“What other reason are we here?” Snow looked at Emma, then to David, who was rubbing his cheek with his palm. 

“If you would have given us a chance to say so, you’d know that Emma has been having recurring visions. Ones which might point us in the right direction.” David sighed, watching his wife grow offended, as though he had chosen another side. 

Aside from her big sized eyes, Snow tilted her head to speak. “Visions? What kind of visions?” 

Emma moved her hands to emphasize. “They seem to be from Belles point of view, so I’m assuming they are memories. I don’t know  _ why  _ I’m having them, neither does Regina.” She glanced at the woman, then back to her mother. “But either way, I think it will help us.” 

“Oh” Snow looked at Regina apologetically, then to David, before she nervously readjusted Neal on her side. “How often are you…?” Trailing off, Regina picked up. 

“This morning was her first episode. I can only assume it was sparked by light sleeping, something about the limbo between being asleep and awake making it possible.” Regina turned towards Emma, then began to move back and forth with her hands on her hips. 

“How do I get back there? In...limbo?” Emma searched Regina’s worried eyes with her own, to which the brunette gave a small sigh. 

“Napping. Power naps, you could call it. But if you sleep any longer than 30 minutes, it will qualify as a deep sleep. So one of us will be there to wake you every 20 or so.” Regina answered. 

Silent acknowledgement filtered the air, before David spoke in question. “So...what do we do about Cora?” 

Regina looked away from the man, and to his daughter. As her eyes softened, she gave a subtle nod. “Tell them.”

When everyone’s eyes met Emma’s, the blonde cleared her throat. “According to my  _ first  _ vision….Belle had already created a plan.” A beat. “And I think it will work. I just… didn’t see enough.”

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


“I’m not finding anything.” Emma grunted, as she bent downwards at the torso, searching the glass cases in Gold's shop for a needed object. Regina brushed past the hanging curtain that separated the back room from the main, before sliding a hand through her hair, doing her best not to pull it out. 

Emma listened in on the woman’s heels which now click behind her, the heavy and occasional huff from Regina providing enough proof that the woman was agitated and completely  _ done  _ with this. “Can’t you just... _ I don’t know...  _ summon it?” Emma grunted, easing the ache in her lower back with her two thumbs. 

“It doesn’t work like that, Emma. I’ve never physically held the object. Therefore, I cannot summon it.” The older woman snapped, receiving a flinch from Emma, to which her eyes softened apologetically at. 

Making her way towards the old cash register, Emma trailed a finger along the edge of the machine, dust flying through the air, as her eyes inspected the surface. Once Regina’s previous words began to replay and register in her mind, Emma stopped abruptly, her boot knocking the worn out wood in front of her, causing Regina to snap up awards from her hunting, eyes gleaming with question. “I’ve held it before.” 

“When?” Regina brushed a strand of her growing her behind her shoulder, lips pursed as she furrowed her brows. 

“It was...a while back.” Emma reminisced, her mind burning with concentration as she vividly imagined herself standing in the center of the shop, arms extended with a dreamcatcher, showing imagery from pongos imagination. “I used it in hopes to prove that...you didn’t kill Archie.” Emma huffed, almost disappointed with herself as she spoke, again. “At the time I wasn’t aware that…. _ cloning  _ was a thing.” 

Though Regina’s eyes only faltered for a beat, Emma took note, as the woman drew herself closer. “Then you can summon it.” Ignoring the previous confession, Regina sternly spoke, though her next words softened immensely. “You’ve done this before, Emma.” 

“Yeah, but ever since crossing the town line, I haven’t exactly been capable of…” Emma trailed off, huffing, as she noticed the look of determination on Regina’s face. Her magic had been in and out ever since she left the hospital, and with help from Regina, it  _ was  _ growing stronger. But as she so hellaciously learned the night before, summoning things with haywire magic, can go  _ very  _ wrong. She’s pretty sure she ended up with Leroy's jacket, instead of her own. It definitely wasn’t  _ hers.  _

“Just focus, dear. Pull all of your magic to the surface,  _ first.  _ Then, imagine the dreamcatcher as  _ vividly  _ as you can. Imagine holding it. The way it feels beneath your fingertips—“ As Regina guided Emma verbally through the process, both women found themselves surprised, and Regina  _ proud,  _ of how quickly Emma summoned the object. Within seconds, in her hand was the specially weaved and rough textured dream catcher. 

Holding it further from her face, Emma observed it, her eyebrows rising with a small sense of pride. Waking the woman from her thoughts of success, delicately pulling it from her fingers, Regina spoke with a light smirk. “Brilliant.” 

“Thanks.” Emma softened, dropping her shoulders as she sighed. “Now what?” 

Almost immediately, It was back to business. Clearing her throat, Regina’s eyes floated across the room, a new found determination hidden within the gaze. “Well….with this—“ Fiddling with the feathers at the end of the tassels, Regina’s stomach turned with something in mind. “We can dig into the deepest of Belle's memories. Memory wiping isn’t  _ actually  _ possible. You just simply place a new set directly in front of each old one.” Shrugging, Regina waved a blatant hand in the air, turning from the blonde as she began to move. 

There was something so incredibly attractive about the way Regina’s brain was an endless pit of knowledge, it made a smirk work its way onto Emma’s face. 

“What?” Regina narrowed her eyes, watching Emma. 

A beat. “Nothing.”

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Emma, Regina and Snow, all sat together in a booth at Granny’s, silently toying with food that seemed to never really disappear, as no one ate what was on their plate. A stiff tension remained in the air, though not a soul addressed it, despite its cloudy and lingering judgement. 

When Snow spoke, it was only to ease said tension; but instead, it brought more. “So….Daniel?” 

Regina ignored the new found stiffness in Emma’s shoulders, as well as her own, as she locked eyes with the woman in front of her. “What about him?” 

“Well, I assume he’s just as much of a problem….right? Maybe we should go about things one thing at a time...like dealing with him first?” Snow’s eyes shifted to Emma’s, who’s own eyes observed her hands, which lay limp in the center of the table. “Your father and I were discussing that. We think maybe….once we know Daniel isn’t an issue, we can go from there.” 

“Well, Snow—” Regina narrowed her eyes. “Have  _ you  _ seen him? Because I don’t think any of us have gone searching for him, because as it turns out, we are all busy.” Huffing in aggravation, Regina pursed her lips. 

It was absurd, what happened next. It was as though the universe had been listening in, eavesdropping in such a way that the next current of events would be understood as coincidental. 

Coincidental, their  _ asses _ . 

Gasp echoed through the diner, as a choking and heaving Daniel landed face first against the tile flooring. And everyone and their immediate reactions, such as aiding the poor man, were forgotten, when Regina slammed the palm of her hand against the unstable surface. 

Why? Because she was fed up. 

It was the lack of breathing air, the lack of  _ time,  _ and the lack of  _ freedom, _ that pushed her to the precipice of her tolerance. It wasn’t just the fact that her happiness seemed to be far from possible, although it  _ was  _ that— but it was also the fact that….having recently been given the  _ taste  _ of real happiness, not having it, has grown to be more than difficult. Because yes, the love and the emotion Regina had undergone the past few happy times of her life have softened her. And  _ yes,  _ in a way, love has  _ proven  _ itself to be a form of weakness. Though she had grown to cherish this weakness, that in more ways than one was a  _ strength,  _ she also hated it. 

She hated it, because this new found softness and love, this..  _ trying to be ‘good’,  _ meant going about things the right way. She couldn’t go in blazing, fire in the palm of her hands. And it wasn’t even just that; she couldn’t even  _ think  _ straight, because as it turned out, becoming softer around the edges made it more difficult to plan things. Her evil intentions did often make planning easier, as you’re not as concerned with the outcome of certain moves. 

So— _ yeah.  _ Seeing Daniel enter the Diner, and fall in such a lifeless way, bloody around the hands, didn’t come as a surprise to Regina. In fact, it was the final straw being plucked. Because Regina….for once, in forever…. 

Had absolutely  _ no idea  _ of what to do. 

“Speak of the Devil.” Emma’s low murmur barely registered, as Regina watched the woman push herself from the booth, moving towards the man who lay limp in a mess of limbs. The woman, who also, seemed to not notice  _ Regina’s  _ forceful action. Snow, however,  _ did.  _

“Regina?” A comforting voice numbed the burning within the woman’s stomach, as Snow’s hand drifted across her own burning palm. Whether it was from a rousing fireball, or the harshness in the slap, was unbeknownst to her. 

With a deep sigh, one that held a large  _ just forget it,  _ Regina abruptly stood from the booth, a concerned woman following close behind. 

Her heels provided a sense of authority that was very much needed, now, though when Emma’s eyes locked with her own, Regina knew that  _ she _ knew. As Regina bent downwards at the knees to observe the unconscious man, Emma mouthed 3 words in an attempt to check on Regina. 

Regina ignored her. 

“Take him to the hospital.” Sternly speaking, with fingers on a pulse point, Regina searched for someone’s attention. Anyone’s. Anyone who was paying mind. “Hello!? This man needs medical attention” 

_ This man.  _ This man who was once considered the love of her life. Right now, though, he was  _ this man.  _

And It all passed in a blur. The words and mumbling, as well as the calls for her name, sounded simultaneously with the ringing of a bell, signaling Regina’s abrupt leave. 

Nearly stumbling down the steps of the building, hands immediately ran themselves through long strands, tugging in an effort to find relief from the torment she was withstanding. Within seconds, followed Emma. 

“Regina?” A comforting hand found her back, touching between shoulder blades, an immediate and  _ appreciated  _ wave of relief surfacing in the slightest. “What’s going on?” 

Tears brimmed Regina’s eyes, now in both agony and long ago registered anger, before she responded. “I can’t escape it. I just— I just  _ can’t.  _ It is inevitable, Emma. This must be my karma, karma for casting the curse, and doing no good for so many years.” The end of the sentence left the woman’s mouth in a gasp for air, her throat constricting, despite her stone cold face. 

“Hey, Regina—” moving in front of the woman, Emma cast a second long glance over her shoulder, then back into beautifully familiar eyes. “You can’t actually blame this on yourself. You know that, right? You’ve got to stop blaming everything on yourself.” Emma meant it; but she also knew that Regina’s self hate was unavoidable in moments such as this. Years of dedication were put into tearing the woman’s aches and pains away. This one always lingered, though. It screamed the aftermath of  _ damage.  _

“Then who  _ do  _ I blame?” Regina bit out, her teeth gritting, more so in an attempt to prevent extra tears from spilling, than it was to appear angry. 

“Your mother! Blame Cora! This is Cora, not you!” Nearly shaking her shoulders, Emma spat unintentionally, the weight of her words bringing her chest to flush red. 

Regina averted her gaze, chewing at the inside of her lip. “I am her daughter. Therefore, in the eyes of— Well,  _ everyone,  _ I am partly responsible.” And it is true. Because all of Regina’s life, she had been either frowned upon, or lifted high, all because she was  _ Cora’s daughter.  _ Relationships and friendships were impossible, and reputations were ruined. A heart was bruised, and because of that, many others were  _ crushed.  _

Emma softened her eyes, her brows frowning with her mouth, as she took a step closer. “But not in mine. I know that’s not enough, but….we  _ will  _ beat this. It won’t be like this forever.” As her words acted in a verbal embrace, providing Regina with the smallest bit of solace, she physically embraced her, as well. 

When Regina melted into the affection, her body sinking further into Emma’s warmth, she sighed. She sighed, because Emma was enough. Somehow, the support of one person, the utter  _ belief,  _ of one person...was enough. “It is enough.” 

_ It will always be enough.  _

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


“I don’t want him leaving this room. Is that understood?” Whale nearly trembled beneath the gaze of Regina, his head nodding furiously in an attempt to reassure her. “I’m sealing it. And  _ you  _ are the only one capable of entering.” Moving backwards, Regina extended her arms, palms in the air, as she cast a protection spell on the hospital room where Daniel lay. 

Emma and the charmings waited in the lobby, David’s knee bouncing hellaciously up and down as Snow’s eyes were stuck on the dirty wall, and Emma nearly dozing off as her head fell backwards in short jumps. 

David was concerned, to say the least. It didn’t take a genius to notice, even from afar, that Regina and Emma were fighting for not only their relationships, but themselves. Behind every smile and soothing whisper shared between the women, he noticed the twinkle of depressing desperation behind their eyes, which spoke out in terms of wanting to be free. 

Thoughts were cut short as Regina strutted quickly into the lobby, her long black coat trailing behind her, as she pursed her lips. “That should be taken care of.” Regina snapped her eyes to observe Emma, who simultaneously pulled her head up the moment the woman spoke. Emma’s gaze looked like an empathetic  _ I’m sorry,  _ while Regina’s looked like a simple  _ it’s not your fault. _

David pushed himself out of the chair, startling the both of them. “How is he?” 

“Not that it concerns me, but, he is fine.” Regina chewed the inside of her cheek, before clearing her throat. 

When she spoke, Snow observed her with a question, as to say _why doesn’t it concern you?_ And If she would have cared enough to answer, Regina’s response would have been, _because he shouldn’t be here._ And Chances are, her words would need elaboration, which would be followed with, _He is merely a replica of someone I once knew,_ And, _I don’t love him anymore._ But somehow even then, those words don’t seem to be enough to rationalize her lack of interest in the man, or lack of _worry._ And that is why Snow was ignored in the first place. 

Or, Maybe, it is because she is worried about  _ Emma’s  _ point of view on all of this. Because not too long ago, it was one of the many reasons the woman was going to  _ leave.  _

Something the two still needed to discuss, properly. 

Changing the subject, Regina turned back towards Emma. “I think it’s time for Emma’s first nap.” 

Emma furrowed her brows. “What, am I three now?” 

“You know what I mean.” A forced, but also real smile, was given to Emma. Somehow it felt like the last sympathetic one that would be given or received for a while. 

“We should get going, then.” David helped Snow to a standing position. “Just gonna leave you guys to it.” 

Snow still observed Regina with hesitant eyes, as she contemplated the depth of the older woman’s emotions. Despite what everyone believes, Snow  _ knows  _ the woman. And Regina understands that. Regina knows exactly why she is being suspiciously ogled, and picked apart like some troubled person. 

Because Snow sees right through her. And when Regina locks eyes with her, she sees both hurt and cautiousness, most likely for both Regina  _ and  _ Emma. For their relationship.

Regina believes that, their time spent so delicately this morning, could have simply been a facade. A masquerade. One to help numb the realness of it all; because it is  _ terrifyingly  _ real. And, ultimately, everything was a mess now. 

But Regina  _ did  _ believe Emma, when the blonde said they would get through this. 

_ It just hurts.  _

“Let us know if you need anything.” David placed a gentle hand on Regina’s shoulder, before slowly pulling Snow from the room, and out of the automated doors. 

When Regina slowly moved to sit herself beside Emma, the blonde reached for her hand almost instinctively. “I could easily nap here, if you want to stick around longer.” 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows immediately, having not expected Emma’s statement. “Why would I want to stick around longer?” 

When Emma spoke, Regina was relieved but...more so  _ confused,  _ as to why Emma’s voice didn’t hold its previous jealousy or fear of rejection. “That’s Daniel, in there. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. Plus...he needs someone.” Regina’s eyes narrowed further, when Emma smiled. 

Noticing the growing confusion, Emma spoke. “What?” 

“Nothing, I just—“ Tilting her head, and averting her gaze, Regina continued. “How are you handling this so well?” 

A scoff. “Trust me, I’m not. But I’m not going to keep my girlfriend from checking in with her…” a sigh. “With someone who once meant the world to her.” Emma’s eyes frantically searched the ones across from her, which showed some sign of disbelief; and if it weren’t for the knowledge that Emma had fallen off of the deep end recently, she’d be offended. Smiling sadly, Emma did her very best to reassure the woman across from her. “You know I’d do the same for Neal.”

When Emma responded with what would be considered the perfect response in most relationships, Regina realized that it  _ was  _ reassurance she was looking for. And it made her feel weak, as though she had stooped to whole a new low, when Emma’s words didn’t really  _ suffice.  _ Not too long ago, the tables were turned completely, and it was Regina’s words which didn’t make the cut in reassuring Emma. And now? Now that Regina was the one searching for reassurance in their relationship, reassurance which came about  _ only  _ because of Emma’s recent actions...she almost understood where they could have been speaking different languages. 

Looking into Emma’s eyes, she sees someone who is trying. And that is all she wanted, and still wants. 

When Emma’s reassuring grin grew larger, but the pain in her eyes  _ bigger,  _ Regina knew that looking back in time, back to when she could only imagine what it felt like to be with Emma...well, this still would have been  _ worth it.  _

_ Emma was worth it.  _

“She’s not going to win.” At Regina’s abrupt words, Emma’s eyes narrowed, her head pulling backwards. 

Emma had been nearly lost in the moment, somewhere caught between deciphering the thoughts behind brown eyes, and determining what words would do justice in explaining what she felt, when Regina’s sure words hit her like a brick. It didn’t go unnoticed, though, how Regina faltered only slightly, and after she had spoken. Emma knew what she was doing. It’s a little something they liked to call  _ ‘speaking it into the future.’ _

When someone was uncertain, and in dire need of confidence, that is what they would do. When they felt a situation could take an abrupt turn any moment, and when they  _ knew  _ they didn’t have it figured out yet, that is what they would do. 

Emma squeezed her hand further into the palm of Regina’s, before speaking in a huff that could have meant many things, though they were both sure it was an attempt at not admitting  _ defeat.  _ “She’s not going to win.” 

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“I’m worried about Emma and Regina.” 

Snow lay on her back, feet crossed on her bed, as she spoke to David, who stood on the opposite side of the loft. 

One thing the two women had in common, was their habit of running. Snow knew them both well enough to understand that; and while Emma runs physically, Regina runs emotionally. Especially in situations that prove to be difficult, and while it has always been unintentional, not often has she found herself capable of coming back from it. Seeing the cautious woman behind fierce expressions in Regina, Snow nearly counted every doubt the woman carried. And she would carry those, too, if she were in her shoes. The demon of doubt that stood out most was the one beating on the two women’s relationship, the team of  _ good  _ struggling to support it. But with what Emma and Regina had been through, there were two ways to go about things. 

One: Realize that after what has already been defeated between the two of them,  _ nothing  _ is strong enough to break them apart. 

And two: Flee, in fear that their relationship cannot survive another round about with Evil trickery, and emotional obstacles. 

Until both women made a decision, nothing would find itself accomplished. And therein lies the problem; with Storybrooke upside down, there is nearly  _ no  _ time to even dwell on the subject of  _ them.  _

“Why is that?” David began to dig into his wife’s statement, though he was more than aware as to  _ why  _ that was. Silence, and then a boisterous sigh echoed, before David’s shoulders grew rigid in preparation for an emotionally rattled Snow.

“They were so happy, and then— _ well, _ Cora happened, and life, and…. I’m just worried they won’t be able to surpass that.” Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she grew sullen. “Is that wrong of me?” 

“No, Sweetie, I don’t think it’s wrong of you. But I do think...maybe we should have more faith in them.” Placing his heart on his sleeve, in an attempt to both convey his truth and  _ not  _ say the wrong thing, he continued. “Emma and Regina aren’t just... _ together.  _ They’re best friends, Snow. Ever since the beginning, they stuck together, even when they couldn’t stand the thought of the other. Something tells me no battle they face will be bigger than what they’ve already overcome.” A beat. “They just need to see that, too.” 

_ They just need to see that, too.  _

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Nimble fingers slowly threaded themselves through knotted blonde locks, and with every strand that fell from between her knuckles, Regina felt her heart rate slow in utter contentment. Emma’s head rests on Regina’s lap, where the woman had spent nearly an hour dozing, waiting on any form of memory to flood the backs of her eyelids. After waking twice, having received  _ nothing,  _ Regina decided she would no longer wake the woman. 

After all, the older woman loved nothing more than to see Emma appear relaxed and content. Sometimes it was all Regina wanted to receive from Emma, this innocence that fades the moment life begins moving again. It’s all she wanted to  _ bring _ her. But in times such as this, with her own  _ mother  _ attempting to murder one of the people who matters most…. _ Emma... _ .well, Regina can’t see her lover being content, just yet. 

The brunette knows that when she repeats things such as this, she begins to sound like  _ Emma,  _ when the woman had only recently taken a dive somewhere dark. But, Regina can’t help but think that if it weren’t for  _ her,  _ none of this would be a problem in the first place. 

And while it was something she had spent years sulking over, and waddling in tremendous guilt over, it still never truly fades. Of course, with the reassurance from Emma, it numbs. Because for the first time in a long time, Regina developed a large amount of  _ trust  _ in the woman. So when the blonde speaks reassuring whispers, ones of which Regina can tell are as truthful as intended to be, she forgets her worries. 

Moral of the rant, is, Regina finds herself in fear that one of these days Emma will stop believing in her. And even worse, she feels the current chaos taking place is pushing it to the surface. Emma was her solid ground, the steak that holds a tent in place during windy weather. She was her  _ everything.  _ So, despite her underlying fear, Regina did once again what she had spent years learning to do, and she looked at the good. 

What was almost comical, though, was the way Regina’s worry’s could never stay around for so long, when Emma was present. It reminded her of when the Blonde vowed to take those burdens away, and to be a safe haven. To tear every bad thing down as though her life depended on it, giving Regina oxygen underwater. One thing about Emma Swan, was, she  _ always  _ stuck true to her word. 

Regina loved her for it.  _ Loves.  _

And the woman had nearly  _ died,  _ for Christ sake. So she basks in this moment, grilling tightly with all of her heart and being to never lose Emma. Because yes, the only hope for her own future is with this woman in her arms, emotionally and physically.

Relaxing into the soft and beautiful moment, Regina struggled to slowly bend herself downwards, placing her lips on Emma’s forehead, lingering to rouse heat. It was only 5 seconds later, with a smile that spoke awe and love, that Regina was interrupted by a ringing phone. 

It was Whale. 

“Hello?” She answered sternly, though her eyes still mapped the outline of each freckle on Emma’s face. 

A throat was cleared, floating through the receiving end. “Why is Belle French in my hospital? And most of all, why is she persistent on the fact that her name is  _ ‘Lacey’?  _ Has she gone mad?” 

Regina perked at his words, her hands trembling with a new found  _ something.  _ “What is she doing? What did she say?” 

“She’s looking for Daniel.” Whale sighed. “I’m not letting her in. But she’s clearly gone mad.” 

Struggling to find words, Regina opened and closed her mouth. She was nearly seconds away from saying something along the lines of,  _ ‘I’ll be there soon’,  _ as it was a force of habit. But when Emma snapped upwards, her head nearly butting Regina’s, she instantly ended the conversation. “Call David.” 

Closing the device without any further pondering, Regina reached worryingly for Emma’s bicep, the woman huffing as she slid her legs off of the couch. “Emma? What is it? What did you see?” 

Large bewildered eyes met her own, a small sweat breaking across the surface of the blondes forehead. 

_ “Pandora’s box.”  _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave me feedback! Also— follow my instagram! @Evil.AppleSQ


	25. Intimate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Regina... Is this—?” 
> 
> When a relieved huff fell from the woman’s trembling lips, Emma’s mouth fell slack. “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, follow me @evil.applesq on Instagram! The more followers I get, the more active I become. I’m interacting with everyone, and also having great in depth conversations regarding this fic! 
> 
> I’m beginning to video edit, as well. But like I said, once I get more viewers I will begin to post those. 
> 
> I accept prompts, including ideas. You get full credit for it! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

It was expected that Emma and Regina would end up clashing, the intensity of their once again found and troubling situation pushing them both to the brink. But what wasn’t expected, was the utter honesty that both women brought to the table. Being mature women, especially when it comes to their relationship, they understand that communication, and  _ honesty,  _ are very much so important factors in making things work. But sometimes, like the two women have once learned before, words can never be taken back. 

But neither can actions. And as Regina does her very best to convey such, Emma continuously runs into brick walls, pounded with the realization that she does  _ not  _ have an explanation. And that, mixed with the fear that so painfully riddled her bones in moments such as this, was a  _ terrible  _ combination. 

It started out light, a completely normal conversation that made its U-turn, when  _ Emma,  _ Of all people, addressed Regina’s hesitation. Hesitation that was endlessly shown every time Emma made her vow to work hard for their relationship, and every time the blonde locked eyes with Regina in the dead of night, whispering  _ I love you.  _

It had only gotten worse, ever sense Emma made her way back from the town line, the night things took their last turn for the bad. And like with most things, in the new beginning, Emma lying awake and startled in a hospital bed, Regina was more sure than anything, that they would be fine. But as time wore on, and more chaos came about, more puzzles in need of being solved, Emma quite literally saw every little fragment of belief float away from the brunette. 

It had been three days after Emma’s return from sudden death, lying wet and cold against soaked wood, pale blue skin illuminated by moonlight.  _ Two days,  _ after Emma’s burst of visions, memories captured by Belle riddling her soul, some terrifying, and some useful.  _ One day,  _ after searching top to bottom for the device that might capture Regina’s mother, and send her right to the pits of Hell, where she  _ no doubt  _ belonged. And only half an hour after Emma closed the door to the mansion marked 108, tears gleaming on the tips of her irises, did the two women realize that without all cards on the table, things were  _ impossible.  _

Emma sits in her bug, already frantically moving her eyes as memories from only moments ago flooded her vision. Flooded her mind, and flooded her  _ heart.  _

_ “Damnit, Emma! I feel like we are speaking two entirely different languages, here!” Prodding a finger into her own chest, Regina’s nostrils flared. “You realize how— how unstable we have been? You do realize that this problem was created by your incessant habit of overthinking, and not trusting me, don’t you?”  _

Tilting her head back, as tears spilled down her cheeks, Emma re-imagined her words in such a way that brought her right back to the moment they were spoken. 

_ “I don’t know! I don’t know, Regina!” Emma’s shoulders rose in height, and her voice in volume, though it also sounded small and feeble. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you! I did trust you! But I just had these recurring thoughts that made me second guess everything, and that led me to running! But I’m fucking sorry, I don’t know what else to tell you!”  _

_ At the drop of a hat, Regina’s anger soared. “Every goddamn chance I was given to reassure you, I used it! I looked for you, and begged you, and— fucking pleaded for you, to trust me! And not only did you not trust me, but you ran!” Pointing a finger at Emma to emphasize, Regina kept going. Her next words were lighter, though the weight behind them were heavier. “What did I tell you at the town line that night? When you woke me from the sleeping curse. Do you remember?”  _

_ Emma blinked, nodding her head almost shamefully. “Yeah.” A beat. “Yeah, I remember.”  _

_ “I begged you to stop running. If I remember correctly, I said something along the lines of, ‘you used to never run from me. You used to challenge me. So why do you keep running?’.” Regina’s voice rose once again, Emma flinching the moment the sound met her ears. And any other day, Regina would have felt guilty. “And what did you say? Huh? You said, ‘choose me.’”  _

A guttural cry left Emma’s throat, fading away in a silent choke, as she heard Regina’s words ghost through her mind; her heart clenching with the punctuation. 

_ “And I chose you.” Regina’s words stung Emma to the core, the blonde internally stumbling backwards, Because she promised herself she would never be the cause of these painful arguments; And now, she was at fault. “You said if I chose you, you would stop running.”  _

_ And then Emma was crying. “I know. I know, and I’m so sorry. Please—”  _

_ “Emma…..” When Regina sighed, the blonde felt the last of her resolve crumble into nothingness. Rubbing a hand across her face, Regina averted her eyes. “I’m only human, Emma. And I don’t love you any less. But I...I’m so sorry, but I— I feel almost manipulated. You made me believe that my love wasn’t enough to keep you from leaving, and now, after—” The images of Emma lifeless flashed before her eyes, and she grew devastatingly furious. “After watching you lay lifeless at my hands, just after leaving me with that excuse of a goodbye...Well, I can’t help but find myself confused with the abrupt change in your thought process. And you can’t even provide me with a real explanation!”  _

_ Emma nodded through her tears, her eyes refusing to leave Regina’s, almost as though the loss of eyesight would break them in two. “What do you want to hear? What can I say to...to make it better?”  _

_ A sad and tear stained laugh fell from Regina’s mouth, the woman taking a step closer to caress Emma’s cheek, before she spoke in a hushed whisper. “I just need to trust that you aren’t going to run from me when things go downhill. Recently, you’ve— been more reassuring, than before. But every time someone mentions the next big disaster, I flinch, more concerned with your next move than my own mothers. That can’t be right...can it?”  _

_ The continuous nods of Emma’s head proved her understanding, the head movement symbolizing a No. Emma’s sad and whimpered whisper touched Regina’s cheek, the distance between them small. “I’ll fix it. Let me fix it, Gina’. I’ll do it all over again, if it means being with you.”  _

Emma didn’t make the stupid decision, that time. In fact, she felt more sure of her words than she had, in a long time. Almost as sure as she felt when she confessed her inevitable love to the older woman. And when Regina kindly requested that the two of them set a clean slate, though it only hurt Emma due to guilt, the blonde agreed. 

And that is why she now finds herself in her bug, albeit tear stained and on the verge of a mental breakdown. Because of course clean slates meant separate beds, and being more than 15 feet apart in the next room. But this time, instead of crying in self hate over a problem she _ did  _ cause, she simply cried because...well, she hates fighting with Regina. But also because something doesn’t sit right within her; something pointing to the fact that the abrupt change in her thought process really  _ didn’t  _ make sense. 

Regina wanted an explanation. And Emma  _ really  _ couldn’t provide one. Her brain became a puddle the moment she attempted to lay out the reasoning behind her actions. 

And Emma couldn’t help but think there was more to it.  _ There always is.  _

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“And who are you, exactly?” With a blatant move of her head, Belle— or,  _ Lacey,  _ gave David a once over. 

David was on patrol, when he received a call from the Storybrooke bar owner, stating a ‘young petite woman has angrily harassed 2 dwarves in the past 30 minutes’. He remembers quite vividly, what Belle was like when she had crossed the town line a couple years ago, and returned as someone else. But what he didn’t remember, was the woman being so overly obnoxious and wild that it was almost impossible to contain her.  _ Arrest her.  _

He had no intentions of doing so when he first received the complaint, as it was simply a verbal argument gone bad, because Leroy and Tom had undergone one too many drinks, becoming overly flirty in a...more than inappropriate way. But when he entered the place that ranked of stale alcohol, and found Belle nearly screaming at the top of her lungs, he figured it’d be best to take her into custody. Kill two birds with one stone. 

Having Belle in his eyesight at all times is exactly what the plan was, anyways. And with the dreamcatcher, her memories can be returned. Or...however that works. 

“I’m the sheriff's deputy. I’m gonna need you to come with me.” Once he had her wrist together in old fashion, he began to move her towards the exit, ignoring the slurs in her speech. 

“Is there any other way I can make it up to, deputy? There has to be—” 

David rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh, as he didn’t quite know how to deal with an overly flirty bookworm. Puffing his chest, he spoke sternly to assert his position in authority. “Stop talking.” 

Eyes widened, and then a smirk grew on her face. “Yessir” a beat. “Is the sheriff this good looking? Maybe we could have a little chat.” Upon her giggling words, he moved her forward a bit rougher, nearing the patrol car. 

“The sheriff is my daughter.” A huff. “And get in.” 

It wasn’t too long after that, that David found himself rubbing his temples in agony, listening to the woman blabber on about god  _ knows  _ what, from her jail cell. And If it weren’t for the knowledge that this woman contained  _ very  _ Important information, David would be basking in the fact that he finally did something that felt normal. But unfortunately, this was far from it, because this woman wasn’t even who she thought she was, and David knew the reason as to why. And the awareness of that, made it much harder to pretend. However, they were one step closer to solving this catastrophe. 

Emma and Regina had spent the day before searching nearly all of Storybrooke for some box that would contain Cora, as it was their last resort. And successfully, they found it. What was troubling, though, was the way the small victory didn’t bring any relief to the family. Why? Because the real problem came in  _ finding  _ Cora. And then _ capturing  _ her. And because Emma had gathered the idea of the box from her visions, everyone’s assumptions are that Belle must have come up with an entire plan, one that will share exactly  _ how  _ to do such. So, David sits here, waiting on the  _ entire  _ crew, because nobody hardly moves alone these days, and Regina, who should be arriving with the needed object any minute now. 

When everyone walks in one by one, clearly all having arrived at the same time, he doesn’t even look twice at the separation between Regina and Emma, the brunette in front of Henry and Snow, and Emma behind them all. Perhaps it wasn’t something to fret about, in the first place. But to Emma and Regina, it was in the slightest, a bit concerning. 

“My  _ god,  _ would you look at that…” Regina almost sounded in awe, her voice light and mischievous as she observed Belle and her tousled hair, as well as smudged eyeliner. “I think I like you this way. I don’t feel so….self judged.” Humorous as she could be in a situation such as this, Regina took a closer look, before glancing at David. 

“Give it a few minutes, and you’ll want to strangle her.” The man nearly groaned, earning a loving and concerned look from Snow, to which both Emma and Regina rolled their eyes at. 

When Emma stepped forward and beside Regina, hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at the contained woman. “I...don’t actually know how I feel about this... _ version. _ ” She tilted her head. “I think she’d make one hell of a drinking buddy, though.” 

Receiving a hum of agreement from the Brunette beside her, Emma couldn’t help but feel as though she had accomplished something. When Emma had left Mifflin Street with a heavy heart, more than a bit confused with the state of their relationship, her understanding was that they were taking a  _ break.  _ But as far as Regina had been making it out, it was almost as though nothing happened. Emma was caught between feeling relieved, or  _ more  _ confused, because she couldn’t tell if the older woman was simply using a facade to avoid rousing suspicion. When the blonde had pulled up simultaneously with Regina’s Mercedes at the station, she had expected to receive the cold shoulder; But instead, she received a whole hearted smile, including a nod of the woman’s head. 

So, the only way she could describe it, was this— their relationship was on hold, but they were still best friends. 

_ A clean slate.  _

Henry grabbed the dream catcher from his mom, before holding it out in front of him. “So how does it work? Do I get to see the memories return?” 

Sighing, Regina pulled it from his hands, raising an eyebrow. “It’s quite the process.” 

“What are guys even talking about?” When Belle stood from her steel bed in the corner, moving towards the bars, Regina waved her hand, silencing her with magic.

“You’ll thank me later.” With a passive smile, the older woman turned away, ignoring the abrupt movements and sounds of ruffling clothing coming from Belle, who was freaking out in shock. 

Everyone in the room looked caught between feeling grateful, and slightly frightened, as they looked at Regina with wide eyes. Emma, though, couldn’t help but snicker, to which Henry shortly followed; but when Snow cleared her throat as to say  _ not now,  _ mother and son shared a look, before quieting. 

“This isn’t the most simple task, but I’ve dealt with things similar to this in the past.” Regina looked at the room, her eyes lingering on Emma. “What I’m going to do is retract every single memory Belle has, which will most likely leave her in a  _ very  _ unsettling state, so be prepared.” She warned them, before continuing. “But the spell I’m using will only return the real ones. Once that takes place….everything should be fine.” 

Emma glanced at the dreamcatcher. “Is there anything we can do?” 

With a heavy sigh, the older woman caught Emma’s line of sight. “Just...stand still, and look pretty.” A beat. “All of you. Don’t do anything unless I need you, too.” Regina’s lack of confidence in this upcoming performance was already evident, as she averted her eyes from everyone. But it was their last chance, therefore, it was completely  _ necessary.  _

With a wave of her hand, Regina opened the cell door, carefully stepping in as Belle fell backwards against the stone wall. “I need you to trust me.” A gentle outstretched hand raised in the air, signaling peace, but it was soon denied. As Belle Grasp her throat in an attempt to bring noise from it, she shook her head, sinking down to the floor. “....Listen to me” Regina was gentle, crouching down to eye level, bringing the smaller woman to freeze in utter fear. “I’m not going to hurt you. Just….” Regina’s body grew antsy along with her magic, so with a heavy sigh, she swiftly brought the dreamcatcher directly in front of Belle, using her Magic’s Aura to pull in the memories. 

A trail of light blue lit behind Belle's eyes, before leaving from the center of her forehead, illuminating the dream catcher the moment it made contact. As the process continued, Regina glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t know how she’s going to handle this, I—” looking back as she spoke, she noted the glow had dissipated, and Belle was unconscious against stone.

Emma had moved to the entrance of the Cell, where she awaited orders from Regina, though she paused when she saw the lack of movement. “When does she wake?” 

“I don’t know, so I need to do this quickly.” When Regina gripped both edges of the dreamcatcher as though her life depended on it, she felt her magic dampening, as she still hadn’t fully recovered from saving Emma. Noticing the fatigue, and grunt of concern, Emma swiftly moved forward to place a hand in between shoulder blades. 

When she did, a bright white light filtered into the air, out of the dreamcatcher, and right back to the center of Belles forehead, illuminating a couple veins that sat beneath epidermis. 

Sitting back in expectancy, Emma felt the weight of Regina sit in her muscles, before finally the woman sighed, pushing herself to stand. “She’s going to need rest...and maybe...maybe a couple ibuprofen.” When the older woman finally stood square, she found herself wobbly, soon supported by Emma. 

“You used too much magic, Regina.” Emma shook her head, her hands gripping Regina’s biceps from behind. 

“I’ll be fine. I just need—” The woman turned towards Emma, pausing when the room began to lag. “I just need rest.” 

“I’ll teleport you.” Emma stated, before looking back at her parents for approval. 

“I’d rather not end up inside a tree trunk, thank you.” Regina lazily and sarcastically spoke, as she began to move forward, subconsciously taking Emma with her. 

“We will be fine.” Emma huffed. “Mom, Dad...keep Henry for a while. I’ll be back.” 

Before anyone, including Regina, was given time to protest, Emma expertly waved her hand, the two of them disappearing in a cloud of smoke. 

Grandparents and grandson stood stoically, all looking directly at Belle, who still lay slumped against the stone wall. When Snow looked at David, he looked back at her. “What do we do with her?” 

David’s mouth fell open. “Well don’t look at  _ me _ ”

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“You’re insane, pulling a stunt like that. Why didn’t you let me do it?” Emma attempted to help Regina into her large and inviting bed, despite the stubborn woman’s many attempts at shrugging the situation, as though it weren’t a big deal. 

“You’re the one whose magic hasn’t been working properly, Emma.” A beat. “And stop treating me like I’m immobile. For the hundredth time, I’m  _ fine. _ ” Regina sighed, a bit exasperated with the blonde's continued actions. Though Regina’s face remained stoic, and possibly cold, her heart was fluttering and sinking simultaneously, as she noted the depth of Emma’s concern. When the blonde moved to pull off Regina’s boot, though, the woman grunted. “Are you trying to take my foot off with it?” 

“No.” Emma sighed, the pain behind it not going unnoticed. “And I’m not trying to treat you like you’re..... _ immobile.  _ I’m just worried about you.” Placing the shoes neatly at the bottom of the bed, Emma then stood straight, crossing her arms as she watched Regina come down from her headstrong and stubborn state. 

Her facial expression softened immediately upon the confession, and upon noticing, Regina brought herself to curl onto her side, her eyes never leaving the blondes. Her previous frustration was brought on by her embarrassment in nearly fainting over loss of magic, and also the lack of sleep she had been carrying on her shoulders. That, and the painful yet very much needed conversation she had previously shared with Emma. 

Words such as  _ a clean slate,  _ and  _ no running,  _ echoed in her brain; and then she realized that...  _ this  _ was Emma  _ staying.  _

Patting the bed space next to her, Regina invited Emma to sit, to which the blonde hesitantly responded. When she sat, her hips lining up with Regina’s torso, one knee off the bed and one on it, the older woman grasped her hand. “Thank you.” 

Emma smiled, her eyes twinkling with a little something called  _ love.  _ “Of course.” 

Sitting in silence, Regina felt her stomach twist with the knowledge that Emma wouldn’t be sleeping beside her tonight. She had grown so used to the smell of cinnamon, that on days Emma didn’t shower, smelt of leather and strawberries. And she had grown to rely on Emma’s soft fingers running through her hair and across her back, bringing her to a proper sleep. Regina used to bashfully ask for such, and Emma would oftentimes feign dislike in the suggestion. But she always secretly loved it, because it was a privilege.

When the two were arguing earlier that same day, with every raise of Regina’s voice, the woman had found herself afraid that her words would unintentionally push Emma away. All were things that needed to be said, but the whole time there was a pitiful and agonizing ache buried within her, that screamed  _ don’t say this,  _ and  _ don’t say that.  _ But Regina said it  _ all.  _ And she is glad she did, because somehow...she feels inevitably closer to Emma. She feels more secure with every passing minute, like her words were simply something needed to be flicked off of her chest. 

“Do you need anything? I can get you some water.” Emma queried, her look almost  _ too  _ soft, as it made her face feel relaxed, and Regina’s heart content. 

Dampening the dryness in her mouth, Regina turned her head to the right, nodding at the nightstand that stays beside her bed. “Ibuprofen.” 

Emma immediately moved forward, the mattress dipping with the shift of weight, as she delicately pulled the drawer open to view its inner contents, and grab the medicine. What she found, however, roused a gasp of awe, though to Regina it was simply a gasp. 

Lifting her head slightly, Regina furrowed her eyebrows. “What?” 

When Emma sat back, an irregularly large paper in her hand, Regina’s eyes widened. 

On the page that eerily resembled Henry’s Storybook, crinkled and stained, was Regina and Emma, heartfelt smiles on their faces, as they stand eye to eye. Emma didn’t once notice the tears welling in both of their eyes, as she took in the depth of the detail riddling the image, her red leather jacket adorned by Regina’s fingers which grip an arm, and the other woman’s dark yet soft appearance. One side of the brunette's face blended softly into a more sharp look, eyebrows a bit more lined, and lips a shade of darker red, while the other appeared almost bare. And for Emma, one side of her face was more pale and empty, unlike the opposite, which  _ glowed.  _

At the bottom of the page, in a beautiful blend of cursive writing, was this— 

_ When darkness meets light, and light meets darkness, two are mended into one. And when broken meets wounded, and wounded meets broken, two are mended into one. When an Evil Queen meets a Savior, and a Savior meets an Evil Queen,  _

_ Two are mended into one _

**_Flashback_ **

_ Regina was only a little buzzed from the wine she had been nursing since Emma's departure. Her cheeks held a rosy tint, as well as her lips, as she sat cross legged on the couch in the study, frightened for her future. _

_ In her shaking hand, she held a page that belonged in Henry's storybook. It was an image of her and Robin, the night tinker bell had led Regina to the tavern.  _

_ Except something was different.  _

_ What was once a photo of two lovers leaning in for a kiss of true love, was now an image of a Robin Hood leaning in, desperately searching for his lovers' lost lips, as she was looking directly into the eyes of the Regina that was inspecting the photo.  _

_ It had changed. _

**_End of flashback_ **

“What is this?” Emma’s hands shook with disbelief, as she recalls a similar page from long ago, the exact day Emma entered Regina’s office with a root beer and kale salad. The only difference was Robin Hood no longer adorned the page. 

“I don’t…” Regina, now in an upright position, slightly angled Emma’s hand in such a way she could view the beautiful imagery better. “It...it  _ changed.”  _

“What do you mean?” Using all of her strength, Emma pulled her eyes from the paper, and looked questioningly into Regina’s, which held something unplaceable. When the older woman met the blue green irises, a tear spilled down her cheek. “Regina... Is this—?” 

When a relieved huff fell from the woman’s trembling lips, Emma’s mouth fell slack. “Yes.” 

Widening her eyes at the answer, Emma still found herself wordless, because..what does this  _ mean?  _ And as though Regina could hear her thoughts, she spoke. 

“We changed fate, Emma.” She looked at the page, which captured and conveyed all their love story in one simple image, the Evil Queen and savior falling in love, and  _ Emma  _ and  _ Regina  _ Falling in love. “We did  _ that _ .” 

“We did that?” 

Regina’s toothy grin that she often found was reserved for only Emma, grew even bigger. Through salty tears, and gleaming eyes, the brunette answered. “Yes, Emma. We did that.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  
  


“Maybe we should poke her with something.” Henry bent down at the waist, his face uncomfortably close to Belles as he inspected it. 

“I don’t know…” Snow watched from the entry of the cell, her eyebrows furrowing with concern. “But what I do know is her neck is going to  _ kill  _ her, if she doesn’t wake up soon.” 

Belle had begun to see a blur, her eyes peeking just enough to allow the slightest bit of light in, but it went unnoticed to everyone else. A gradual throb began to grow at the base of her neck and up her head, where she felt an odd tingling sensation numb her scalp. The more awake she grew, the more she felt the ache, and the begging in her muscles that meant she needed a stretch. Remaining still, as though she was blank and mute, she listened to the conversation taking place near her. 

The sound of boots sliding against a stone slab came to her attention, as well as a deeper voice, compared to the other two she had just registered. “You think I should move her to the bed?” It was David.

When the airy voice of Snow White drifted through the small area once more, Belle couldn’t help but feel a bit more comfortable in this stiff place, wherever it is she may be. “I don’t think it would bother anything….maybe we should have done it sooner, though.” 

“I can help.” If Belle were anymore conscious, she would have jumped at the unexpected voice next to her ear, which resembled Henry. 

The same boots moved closer, the faint sound of ruffling clothing in her ear, as she felt a light trace of air caress the side of her face. The distinct smell of leather and men’s deodorant entered her nostrils, and she internally braced herself for the next series of movements. When none came, she wanted to ask why, a disappointment churning within her stomach at the discomfort brought by her position. 

“Just spot me as I get up. My knees are getting as old as I am.” Henry chuckled at David’s words, before Snow released an empathetic sigh. “You’re not getting old, sweetie.” 

Belle felt arms reach beneath her knees and behind her back, before she was surprisingly lifted in a wonderful breeze. “I’ve got it, Henry.” 

“Okay. Oh— watch her head” A pair of hands popped up on the base of her skull, before she felt herself being lowered onto a surface that was almost as uncomfortable as the floor, aside from the more comfortable body position. 

When all pairs of hands left her, she waited, hearing nothing but faint breathing. Unbeknownst to her, was David standing with his hands on his hips, contemplating how to wake her. “Yeah, I’m gonna poke her.” 

A stifled laugh came from just behind the man, where Henry held a hand over his mouth, wide eyes adorning his face. Snows voice then piped in, once more. “Henry! What is the matter with you?” 

“Oh come, Grandma. Don’t act like that wasn’t funny.” 

Two long sighs were all she heard, before finally, all at once, her voice box squeezed in an attempt at words. “Uhm….” smacking her lips to get rid of her cottonmouth, she heard a gasp. “My head is killing me.” When her head fell to the side, her eyes opened instinctively, the light about 100 times too bright. 

“Well……” David pondered. “At least I didn’t have to poke you.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


Daniel walked with caution down the streets of Storybrooke, the occasional lingering gaze bringing him to pick up his step, the sound of bicycle bells and car engines giving him an uncomfortable sense of anxiety. His intentions were none but innocent this time around, as he had recently been given his heart back by the evil woman Cora, who had been using it for her own control. Though it made him naive in the area of the woman, when she offered him back his heart, he had considered the possibility of the woman ceasing all fire. But, when it was given to him, he realized the depth of her intentions. 

With a new found emotional pain, reaching a deep and painful place, he was capable of truly  _ feeling.  _ And like icing on the cake, Cora nearly beat him to a pulp, as though it was completely necessary in stating her place of authority. 

Early that morning, he was released from Storybrooke memorial, where he woke up this time around  _ alone.  _ He was unsure of how long he had been registered, but the moment he was allowed to leave, he began his journey to seek out Regina. It pained Daniel as he looked back on the things he had done to Regina, and the things Cora had  _ used  _ him to do. Forcing an action that was a sickening replica of True Love's kiss, harassing Emma, and manipulating, all for the sake of ruining a happy ending. Not that he exactly had a say in the matter. 

When he spoke up about his dislike in the vile actions Cora was committing, he would either receive a squeeze to the heart, which felt  _ bitterly  _ familiar, or a threat along the lines of murdering the young innocent boy who had been so kind as to show him the likes of Storybrooke.  _ Henry.  _ And he thanks whoever may be listening that he didn’t ever give in, because he is wise enough to understand that Regina might find herself capable of moving on from his own death, but moving on from her sons would tear away realms in the process. 

Finding himself directly outside of the diner he hazily remembers collapsing at, he moved forward with diligence and a heavy step, making his way by a group of short men who immediately grimaced upon his presence. One of them murmured an angry, “bastard.” To which he ignored, striding up steps, and into the homely area, where the air grew far warmer than what was outside. 

Searching for familiar eyes, possibly looking like a crazy man as he did so, when they landed on a woman with long straight hair and a red strand, he pinged. Vividly remembering Henry introducing the two, he stepped forward to the edge of the bar. When he opened his mouth, she beat him to it. 

“Daniel?” 

It took him a moment to catch up. “Yeah. Yeah… I’m looking for Regina. Have you seen her?” 

Red shook her head slowly, her eyes expressing her slight discomfort in talking to the man who appeared very skittish. “No.” A beat. “But I can...call her, if you’d like.” 

He swallowed. “Right. Call her….do that.” 

  
  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“Do you….remember everything?” Henry sat beside Belle, watching her with curiosity as she rubbed her temples. David and Snow stood on the opposite side of the cell, observing, as If they weren’t even there. 

“It’s definitely coming back to me, but gradually.” She sighed, dropping her hands. 

Snow piped in, finally, bringing all eyes to snap towards her. “Regina said that would happen, so it’s no issue. Do you want something for your head?” 

“No… No, I’m fine, thanks.” A beat. “Where  _ is  _ Regina?” Belle's eyebrows shot upwards at her own question, her heart beating a bit out of order as she remembered the woman’s previous actions. 

“Emma took her home. She drained her magic, so…” Snow sighed. 

Everyone’s attention was caught immediately, when the young woman’s eyes widened drastically. And to Belle, for a moment, it became difficult to breathe. Her heart had leapt into her throat at the mention of the blondes name, and her stomach did a flip. “She’s still alive? Cora didn’t...kill her?” 

David simply crossed his arms tighter, his biceps growing in appearance, while Snow averted her eyes to the floor. Henry was the one who spoke. “Technically speaking, she  _ did. _ ” He confused Belle, as a large grin grew on his face. “But mom revived her.” 

“Oh” a breathless huff left Belles mouth, to which Henry nodded his head a bit too enthusiastically. 

“Were you there?” Snow tilted her head, taking one step closer, and then stopping. 

“No, I wasn’t there. But I saw on the—”  _ Magic Mirror. _ Belle took a deep breath, her chest expanding. “Cora told me what her intentions were, just before she left. When she came back, she wiped my memories.” 

“Right.” David exhaled, before shaking his head. “Look...You understand we are going to be asking you a lot of questions, right?” 

“I figured as much.” Belle pursed her lips, though she wasn’t in the least bit offended. 

He continued. “We want every. Single. Detail. To this...disruptive plan of Cora’s.” 

She nodded her head, eyes moving from set to set. “I understand.” 

  
  


__**__**__**__

  
  


“I’m sorry about earlier today, Emma.” Regina and Emma now rest side by side on the plush bed, hands intertwined, and hearts beating in sync. “I hate when we argue. I  _ hate  _ it.” 

“I know. And I hate it, too.” Emma used her opposite hand to fiddle with the brunette's fingers, which she had become enamored with over the past 20 minutes, before Regina’s line of sight begged for her own. 

Looking into the chocolate eyes, Emma softly smiled, unconsciously narrowing her own. Both heads slowly fell back against the headboard, as Regina quickly took in each and every freckle she could count. Emma? Emma found herself infatuated with the scar above Regina’s lip, which she longed to caress with her own. 

The blonde loved moments, like this. Because the air was still and quiet, filled with an overwhelming burst of love, that could in moments like this be described as  _ warm,  _ and  _ safe,  _ and  _ home.  _ Home, which she went nearly most her life going without. The over thinking and anxiety that came with not only being the savior, but a  _ human being,  _ completely vanished around Regina. Emma could stay here, forever.

Regina loved these moments, because they were inexplicably rare for her to be a part of; Though Emma did change that. When she was still with the stable boy, at times she would shy away from eye contact when it became too much, blushing as she would brush away the nonexistent dirt from her hands. And in friendships and relationships of all kinds, growing up, Regina could never tolerate such infectious and brute eye contact, unless the meaning behind it was to intimidate. She had always wondered what it’d be like to just...lay content, and still, and look lovingly into a set of eyes that wouldn’t shy away. And she could do that, now

It was  _ intimate _ . Beautifully, and wonderfully,  _ intimate.  _

When Regina sighed, Emma did, too. The brunette met her eyes, and spoke in a hushed whisper. “I miss you, Em-ma.” 

It brought too many emotions to both women, saying it aloud. It hurt, because there very much  _ was  _ a reason to miss one another. And it brought anger, because the reason they hadn’t been allowed to bask in the others presence, was said reason. But above all of these, they felt  _ happiness.  _ Because it was a very difficult thing to say, when you’ve been holding in emotions this strong for your entire life. And releasing those emotions with the one you love, went beyond words. 

“I miss you, too.” Emma felt her eyes grow glassy, to which she chuckled at in an attempt to lighten the air around them. 

Wiping away a tear that fell without warning, Regina then carefully gripped Emma’s chin, before leaning in to gently press her lips against the pair across from her. When she did, a strangled and muffled sob fell from Emma. The kiss had lasted for merely seconds, before the blonde turned away, slightly embarrassed at her outburst. Regina, however, had joined in on the tears, as her own silently fell. Rubbing below her eyes with the backs of her hands, Emma chuckled once more. “Sorry...I don’t—” her voice hitched. “I don’t know what that was.” 

“Don’t apologize, beautiful.” Regina ran her hand along the woman’s neck, the younger woman snatching her eyes back to Regina’s at the name she was called. Holding such a look of disbelief in her eyes, Regina moved to reassure, when her phone began to hellaciously ring. 

Both women sighed in such a way that any other time would have made them laugh, but this time, it was simply annoying. Emma reached for the device, stretching as far as she could, before retrieving it. “Want me to answer?” 

“No, it’s okay.” Pulling the device from Emma’s hand, Regina flipped open the cell. “Regina Mills.”

“Hello?” 

An annoyed huff. “Yes?” 

“Hey...Madame Mayor...uhm—” narrowing her eyes at the usage of her professional alias, Regina waited. “Daniel is currently asking for you. Here.” A beat. “In the diner.” 

Eyes widening and mouth falling open, Regina searched for her words. It wasn’t until a comforting hand landed on her thigh, and the voice echoed through the phone once more, that she spoke. “Is it...urgent?” 

“One second.”

Static and silence came from the receiving end. 

And then, “He says that it is.” A sigh. “He wants to apologize.” 

Regina looked at Emma, and then Down at her crossed ankles. Coiling inside of her was an answer, one of which she didn’t obey. “I’ll be there soon.” In a dramatic huff, she closed the device. 

“You’ll be where, soon?” Emma questioned, her tone both worried and expressing dislike, as she watched Regina move from the bed. “No, you’re not. Sit back down—”

“I’ve got to go to Granny’s.” Regina struggled to pull her boots on, where she found that she still lacked strength. 

“But you haven’t even allowed yourself an  _ hour  _ to recover, Regina.” Emma quickly stood the moment she watched Regina grow dizzy, her body wobbling with the effort to yank on boots.

“It was a simple spell, Emma. And I promise you—” She looked reassuringly into the blonde's eyes. “I’m okay.” 

A sigh filled the absence of noise, before Emma spoke, her hands falling from Regina’s arms to hook into her back pockets. “Who is asking for you?” 

Noting the way Regina’s eyes fell in the slightest, Emma could have sworn she figured it out before she was given an answer. 

“Daniel.” 

Silence. 

And then more. 

When Emma smacked her lips and shrugged her shoulders, Regina’s eyebrows shot upwards. “Well….I’m coming with you.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave feedback! And follow me on Instagram @evil.applesq
> 
> Much love!


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